Deng Xiaoping's rule has seen fundamental economic change in China. This book considers the impact of these years on China's physical environment, as well as its people, industry, agriculture and trade. It also assesses the contribution of a decade of Chinese politics towards geopolitics. The book provides an introduction to Communist China, setting its spatial and environmental themes in the historical, political and economic framework so crucial to a proper understanding of this country and the fifth of the world's population it contains. It is particularly suited to courses on China, its geography and development strategy. After the bloody events of Tiananmen Square in June 1989 China's geopolitics will continue to hold the world's attention. With this in view the book also provides guides to further reading.