In mid-1989 the crisis which had threatened China during the previous four years erupted into violence on the streets of Beijing and other major cities. "China in the Nineties" analyzes the political, ideological, economic, and social roots of that crisis and considers the alternatives now facing the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people. The dilemma which bedevils China's attempt to manage her current problems is that reform is urgently needed now, yet fundamental change will only happen over time. The future seems at first sight to present a stark choice between authoritarian socialism and capitalist democracy, and this impression is reinforced by developments in Eastern Europe and throughout the Communist world. However, as the essays in this volume demonstrate, this may be an oversimplification of Chinese reality. Taking stock of the Chinese predicament requires a broad-ranging survey of trends in social policy, the dynamics of political and social change, and China's attitudes to and relations with the outside world. Written by analysts from England, Australia, and the United States, this book identifies the challenges now facing the country and presents an assessment of the prospects for China, and for socialism at large, through the nineties. "China in the Nineties" is intended for academics and specialists concerned with China and Asian studies, and those in the disciplines of politics, development studies, international relations, and sociology, as well as undergraduate students concerned with these areas.