The collapse of China is unthinkable. The consequence for its people, and the people of the world, could be catastrophic.
Three times larger than the United States, China is predicted by many to blossom into the world's biggest economy by 2010. It may be America's greatest rival, but everyone, from diplomat to businessman to ordinary consumer, has a vital interest in China's stability. The People's Republic, however, is failing. The government is corrupt and weak, the economy stalling, and the social fabric fraying in both countryside and city. As so many times in its past, the Chinese people want change. Soon they will demand it.
With its impending World Trade Organisation membership, China will be forced to open itself to foreign competition, which will shake the country to its foundations. Economic failure will trigger government collapse. So why don't we know about this? Chang also considers the possibility - perhaps probability - of a war with Taiwan, a conflict the mainland cannot win if it employs only conventional forces and weapons.
'The Coming Collapse Of China' does not flinch. It states what almost no one will say out loud: the end of the modern Chinese state is near. The People's Republic has five years, perhaps ten, before it falls. This book tells why.
