Summary

The Peterson Institute for International Economics, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the InfoShop at the World Bank held a discussion meeting on October 29, 2008, at which C. Fred Bergsten, Charles Freeman, Nicholas R. Lardy, and Derek J. Mitchell presented the conclusions of their latest book, China's Rise: Challenges and Opportunities. Danny Leipziger, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, moderated the discussion.

Left to right:Authors Nicholas Lardy, Derek Mitchell, and C. Fred Bergsten at the book signing of China's Rise at the World Bank.

China is a country of complexity and contradiction. It has become an economic powerhouse and an increasingly influential global player, raising the prospect that it will be a future rival to the United States in world affairs. At the same time, China's unbalanced growth fuels unsustainabilities and inequities in its political and social system, raising longer term questions about its domestic stability. Abroad, China is widely welcomed as an engine of economic growth, even as its military modernizes and its increasing footprint creates palpable discomfort about its impact on global stability and the international system. For Americans and others in the international community, coping with the rise of China has emerged as the key challenge of the 21st century. Formulating an effective strategy to do so, however, demands a far richer and more nuanced understanding of China's fundamental social, political, and economic context than that shaping the current public debate in the United States and elsewhere.

China's Rise: Challenges and Opportunities examines the critical facts and dynamics underpinning China's rise and suggests policy responses that will maximize the opportunities for China's constructive integration into the international community.

Event Materials

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China's Rise: Challenges and Opportunities
Book | News Release [pdf]