Asia's Giants

EDWARD FRIEDMAN is Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA and author of several books on China, including What if China Doesn't Democratize? (2000). BRUCE GILLEY is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at Princeton University, USA.

"...The authors are on solid ground when they conclude that India and China will decisively shape the future of Asia and become major actors in world politics." - Foreign Affairs'In the West, the conventional India/China comparisons of the 1970's and 1980's were deeply influenced by the misleading self-reports of a Chinese society so closed that fact checking was impossible. The comparisons were influenced by reports of an India so open that all social, political and economic blemishes were accessible. The authors of this volume have reread the old Chinese evidence more critically, countering spurious statistical claims and deducting credit for the low status of civil rights and political freedoms. They have reread the old Indian evidence more positively through the lens of India's recent accelerated growth and IT leadership, and accorded its democratic and human rights practices more credit. This attempt at revision provides a lively and accessible account, supplied with a rich panoply of relevant data and interpretation.' - Susanne Hoeber Rudolph, William Benton Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science, Emerita, University of Chicago 'This is a path breaking book on the new global reality of a China and India that are now major factors in international political and business decisions. The book shows the strength of a comparative approach; and for these two giants the degree of their cooperation and competition is one of the central issues of the 21st century.' - Paul Bracken, Yale University 'Friedman and Gilley's book, Asia's Giants, is a timely, unique and valuable collection of chapters providing a variety of perspectives and analyses covering politics, security, business and technology. The contributors include Western specialists of China and India, as well a good balance of Chinese and Indian experts providing some fascinating national insights of the two countries and their power aspirations. Those interested in the growing economic and military power of the two Asian giants and the two most populous countries in the world, will find this an excellent reference work.' - Raju G. C. Thomas, Allis Chalmers Distinguished Professor of International Affairs, Marquette University, Author of Democracy, Security and Development in India

• Preface; E.Friedman Introduction; R.MacFarquhar Two Paths to Modernity; B.Gilley ECONOMIC REFORMS Differential Development: Beyond Regime Dichotomies; J.Mukherji Chasing China: Can India Bridge the Gap?; S.Awamy India's Reform Strengths; J.Manor & G.Segal SUB-NATIONAL FACTORS The Persistence of Informal Finance; K.Tsai The Political Basis of Decentralization; A.Sinha Indigenous vs. Foreign Business Models; H.Yasheng & T.Khanna NEW PERSPECTIVES Why Democracy Matters; E.Friedman China Rethinks India; H.Jinxin Development and Choice; A.Saich Conclusion; B.Gilley