China

Hardly a day goes by without facing an article about the ongoing 'emergence' of China economically and culturally. China -- the giant of the 21st Century. Some of it makes for fascinating reading. This is especially true of the statistics. The "did you know that China......." sort. Our fascination with the 'Orient' comes from the fact that it developed outside the purview of Western Civilization. Those of us in the West find it difficult to establish common markers with a civilization alien by history, culture religion, politics and economy. The last fifteen years have seen China's economy grow by an average of nine per cent per year. This truly is astonishing. What is perhaps more notworthy is the interdependence of China's economy with the West. China manufacturing growth now ranks it as the number one producer of cheap consumer goods in the world. It also purchases the lion's share of the debt of the United States. While India may be a close second to China in many respects -- especially growth, China, by its sheer size alone stands to 'emerge' as a world economic leader in this century. With luck, determination and diplomacy this can occur peacefully and coopertively. Herewith is a review of three recent books on these phenomona from The Economist.