A study of China's post-Deng leadership and strategies. The articles show 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.

Part 1 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. Part 2 Social reform and challenges: labour 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. Part 3 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 and Y.-N. Zheng; China's strategic intentions and demands - what is new?, F.-L. Wang.