The authors agree that Jiang Zemin is not a man without any political initiative. He has struggled to establish his own style of leadership, and to strengthen the legitimacy of his leadership by setting forth new rules and institutions for political games and by finding new measures to cope with new challenges. This collection of articles shows the success Jiang and his colleagues have had in strengthening their leadership; how the different reform measures have strengthened Jiang's rule; and how the ongoing reform has created new challenges for his regime.

Contents:

• Party, State, and Society:
• The Politics of Power Succession (Y-N Zheng)
• The Chinese Communist Party in the Countryside (I Wobowo)
• State Corporatism and Civil Society (E X Gu)
• The Religio-Political Significance of Falun Gong and Jiang Zemin's Legacy of Social Stability (W T Liu)
• The Rule by Law vs the Rule of Law (Y-N Zheng)
• Social Reform and Challenges:
• Labor Law for Foreign Investment Enterprises in China (V I Lo)
• The Political Economy of Public Housing Reform (E X Gu)
• Conflicts between Societal Desire and Individual Responsibility: Financing Issues in China's Urban Health Insurance Reform (W Yu)
• China's Growing Concerns over Its Environmental Problems (Y-Q Tong)
• Domestic Responses to External Relations:
• The Politics of Human Rights: Stability First, Development Second, and Everything Else Can Wait (L L P Gore)
• China's Dialogue with the West on Rights: Is There Any Common Ground? (V I Lo)
• Nationalism and Its Dilemma: Chinese Responses to Embassy Bombing (J Wong & Y-N Zheng)
• China's Strategic Intentions and Demands: What Is New? (F-L Wang)

"The book is a welcome addition to the study of contemporary Chinese politics, especially in the post-Deng era. Students of contemporary China are likely to find the book useful in apprising them of several key recent developments facing Chinese politics and policy reform. General readers interested in the Chinese reform will also find it informative and accessible."