The State Strikes Back: The End of Economic Reform in China?
by Nicholas Lardy (2019)
I recommend six books that serve as the necessary foundation for in-depth understanding of China.
Full Context
I am launching a blog on Chinese political economy. It's my contribution to the conversation on China.
"An ancient civilization starting anew, China remains poorly understood by the world. Superficial resemblance to the Soviet Union masks its complex history, distinctive culture, and hybrid economy. Yet the importance of getting China right can hardly be overstated."
In the inaugural essay, I recommend six books that serve as the necessary foundation for in-depth understanding of China.
Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China (2011) by Ezra Vogel
1587, a Year of No Significance (1981) by Ray Huang
The Rise of Modern China, 6th Edition (1999) by Immanuel C. Y. Hsu
Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Premier Zhao Ziyang (2009) by Zhao Ziyang
The State Strikes Back (2019) by Nicholas Lardy
How China Works: An Introduction to China's State-Led Economic Development (2024) by Lan Xiaohuan
— Zixuan Ma, Twitter thread - Six Foundational Books on China