This book questions our perceptions of China. It is argued that what is commonly understood to be 'China' is, in large part, a collage of images. These images - created and manipulated by individuals and groups within the boundaries of the Chinese state in order to pursue their own social, economic and political ambitions - have been accepted, elaborated upon, strengthened and made legitimate by European and American social scientists and by other professional commentators on China. If shaped or strongly conditioned by these images, policies towards China are likely to prove either inappropriate or dangerous.

Rupert Hodder is Lecturer in Geography at the University of Plymouth, UK.

Preface Acknowledgements Introduction China and the Western Heartland Deferring to Culture Reciprocity and Factions Masters of Image: China and the World Conclusions Notes Bibliography Index