China: The Balance Sheet: What the World Needs to Know Now about the Emerging Superpower

This book is the best primer on the rise of China and the consequences to the United States that I have come across. Most other authors on the subject feel the need to have a strong thesis, either "China: House of Cards" or "China: Unstoppable Juggernaut". The team here presents a balanced and clinical view while venturing to conclusions on reccommended US actions as well. Well worth the quick read to cut through all the China hype/noise out there.

I haven't read this book but have read several others by Nick Lardy and studied with him at Yale. I disagee with several reviewers who characterize Nick and his colleagues as ignorant about China and are simply imposing a western view. Nick was studying China and the economy (in Chinese) long before it was a popular subject and is intimately familiar with the country's economy. In a country where data is often obscured by politics, he has done an excellent job of piecing together disparate facts to achieve a coherent whole. He may be skeptical, but he's often correct.

This book is indispensable for anyone seeking solid information about China. No country has inspired more commentary, conflict and controversy, or given rise to more disparate and confusing predictions, projections and polemics. The authors - C. Fred Bergsten, Bates Gill, Nicholas R. Lardy and Derek Mitchell - focus on economic, political and security issues, carefully assessing the range of noteworthy opinions on each issue, and offering readers the data necessary to evaluate them. The authors do not attempt to make a case one way or the other. They provide an excellent, concise survey of contemporary thinking about China, with ample evidence for and against each viewpoint. We think that if you are only going to read one book on China, this should be it. If you are going to read several, start here.

I am the Chief Representive of a leading European Bank in China and I strongly recommand this book for everyone doing business in China or who has interest in this fascinating country. There are so many books on China on the market these days - some of them good, most of them just average. However, this book provides you with great insight in regard to the major issues on China's development in the recent years and its impact on the future. A must for everyone who deals with China these days!

This is the best book on China in many a year. There have been quite a number of books published lately on how China is going to be the superpower of this century. Most of these speak of the business environment only. You will get advice from them on manufacturing in China, how China will take over the world. They look at how much we are buying from China, etc. This book is by the Center for Strategic Studies and the Institute for International Economics. These guys know what they are talking about. For instance, one of the major imports from China is PC's, both desktop and notebook. We purchase billions of dollars worth of PC's from China. On the surface this says that China is making tons of money. BUT, most of the content in the PC is not Chinese. The CPU is probably Intel (made in Malaysia). The Memory is probably Korean. The flat panel display is Japan or Korea. The hard drive is from Indonesia. The common thing in motherboards is to do the technical part of the work in Taiwan and the had inserted part in China. China produced the case and powersupply. Another aspect of China, not usually considered in the business books is the political situation. We all know of Tiananmen Square. But this book says in the first half of 2005 there were 341 large-scale, organized mass incidents - 17 of which involved more than 10,000 protestors - during which 1,740 people were injured and 102 people killed. And between January and October 2005, 1,826 police were injured and 23 killed in mass incidents. China does not have a popular government. Remember that China had two revolutions in the last century -- 1911 and when the communists took over. What are the chances of another? Revolutions do not make for good business conditions. China also has a Muslim problem. China's most western province Sinkiang has borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, and a few other 'stans. Sinkiang has 23,000 Mosques. And then there is energy. China has very little oil, and the demand for automobiles and gasoline is rapidly growing. I find that I could go on for a long time, but that would be just repeating what the book says. If you are making any guesses about what the future holds for the world, or if it is just your interest, this book is mandatory.