China since Tiananmen: From Deng Xiaoping to Hu Jintao

Cambridge Modern China

by Joseph Fewsmith

In this edition of his path-breaking analysis of political and social change in China since the crackdown in Tiananmen Square in 1989, Joseph Fewsmith traces developments since 2001. These include the continuing reforms during the final years of Jiang Zemin's premiership and Hu Jintao's succession in 2002. Here the author also considers social trends and how Chinese citizens are starting to have a significant influence on government policies. As Fewsmith - a highly regarded political scientist and a seasoned China-watcher - observes, China is a very different place since Tiananmen Square. In the interim, it has emerged from isolation to become one of the most significant players on the world stage. This book explains the forces that have shaped China since Tiananmen.

Genres: China, History, Politics, Nonfiction, Asia

358 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 1997

Reviews

[Zhifei Ge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very concise but to the point description of the Chinese political history during the 1980s and 1990s. The book is focused on the elite groups in China, with detailed presentation of their thoughts. A weakness of the book is to what extent does one group of elites represent the people.

[Grayson Ruhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very academic but still quite easy to read. Filled with details on intellectual and elite debates on polices after the Tiananmen Square incident. Well worth the read as this book also fills a gap about the leadership of Jiang Zemin and his relationship with Deng Xiaoping in detail and that seems to be largely ignored or absent from other texts.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good introduction to Chinese political thought following the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Unlike most Western books, Fewsmith is able to communicate that political thought is divided amongst Chinese elites. Fewsmith focuses on what he calls the neoconservatives, the new statists, and liberals going in depth on what each paradigm views Chinese identity and China's future.

My favorite chapter is probably the focus on Western thought in China. Fewsmith shows that Chinese thinkers educated in the West have deconstructed eurocentric notions of modernism, democracy and the oriental gaze through a philosophical rebuke influenced by Edward Said and Michel Foucalt.

[Javier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enlightening. Makes me excited to delve into the Xi Jinping era to see how accurate some of the conclusions of the author were.

[JJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terribly dry. Put me to sleep on many nights. But the sudden shift of Chinese intellectuals after Tiananmen and their co-optation by the ruling elite was a stunning phenomenon, and Fewsmith clearly did his research.