China's Road to Development is a collection of papers by specialists on aspects of China's economy and society. It covers a wide range of subjects, from development strategy to the specifics of small-scale energy exploitation, from the role of women in China's development to the 'greening' of China through great efforts in afforestation. Commenting on the limited issue original edition (a special issue of the journal World Development) from which this volume has been greatly expanded, Dr. Knowles, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, wrote: "A magnificent collection ot essays by very astute and experienced observers, covering everything from population control, health, economic planning, trade, city planning and rural development to Chinese aid in building the Tanzania-Zambia railway. If I could only afford two books on modern China, I would get this one..."

The rise of China is ever-present in debates on globalisation and ongoing power shifts. In a time of rising international tensions, understanding the interdependencies between China's course and the world economy is ever more important. Often, the economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping after 1978 are emphasised. They initiated dramatic changes in China's economy and contributed to its ascent as a world power. In contrast, less attention has been given to the context in which these reforms were implemented. Philippe Lionnet analyses important adjustments in China's agricultural, industrial and foreign trade policies in the course of the 1970s as well as their origins. He shows how policy experiments and their limits shaped the path of the socialist state.