Contemporary Asia: Continuities, Challenges and Transformations [Hardcover]

For the first time in the modern era, Asia is not dominated by an outside power.Is this the Asian Century? Will internal rivalries emerge between China, Japan and India? How will growing tensions between the United States and China shape the global economic, strategic and political system? Covering governance, culture, and society in East and South Asia, this book introduces:

- Key economic developments, including the Asian economic miracle and the 1997/8 Financial Crisis
- The central role of education, and the contentious debate about 'Asian values'
- The rapid expansion of military spending in the region
- The demography and geography of major nations and their forms of nationalism

With further reading suggestions and discussion questions for every chapter, this is essential introductory reading for students of Asian Studies and interested general readers alike.

Chapter 1: Introduction: Settings and Issues
Chapter 2: The Historical Context
Chapter 3: Countries and Peoples
Chapter 4: Political Economy
Chapter 5: Asian Security  Implications for the Region and the World
Chapter 6: Asian Cultures and Belief Systems
Chapter 7: Asian Societies and Social Systems
Chapter 8: Asian Politics and Political Cultures
Chapter 9: Governance
Chapter 10: Asia and the World
Chapter 11: Conclusion  An Asian Century?