This book offers a long-overdue, balanced, and objective perspective on China’s transformation from a constrained economy in the late 1970s to a leading global power in 2024. It examines the political motivations behind China’s rise through a detailed contextualisation of the reforms and opening-up policies of Deng Xiaoping, its governing principles, and the implications of its ascent for the world. For readers interested in China’s evolution over the past 50 years, this book is a valuable resource for policymakers, business professionals, academics, and students of contemporary Chinese studies, international relations, global political economy, and governance.