China's impact on the world is likely to be one of the big ongoing headline stories for the coming century. This book looks ahead, to consider the most likely results of this mutual encounter between China and the international system. How will they affect each other? The book goes beyond traditional military-security matters in various ways. Firstly it brings in the likely impact of China's economic rise for the coming decades. Secondly it also brings in environmental matters, an emerging soft security issue for China and the world, alongside the traditional economic and military-security issues. Finally this book also believes that images matter in international relations. Consequently, soft power questions of culture and of perceptions are also considered as well as the more traditional hard power economic and military issues. Underpinning the whole book is the question; will the 21st century be 'China's Century', for China and the world?

Frameworks for the Century
China's Security-Military Challenge
Economic and Environmental Challenges
China's Ideational Challenge
'Internal' Challenges for China
'External' Challenges for China
Conclusions

DAVID SCOTT is Lecturer in International Relations at Brunel University, UK. His pre-1949 China and the International System, 1840-1949, and post-1949 'China Stands Up'. The People's Republic of China and the Modern International System lead into this book looking at the 21st century - a trilogy.