Zhu Rongji on the Record: The Road to Reform 1991-–1997

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BROOKINGS INSTITUTION PRESS Washington, D.C. www.brookings.edu/press Zhu Rongji on the Record . . . functions as a case study in practical statecraft. Because China’s reform program was so sweeping, and the projects being implemented were of such scale and complexity, Zhu had occasion to reflect on almost every aspect of modern economic management and social development. The problems addressed in this book range across industries—railways, coal, finance, automobile manufacturing, real estate—and their relevance reaches well beyond China. Economists, business strategists,and policymakers will all find in these pages thought-provoking examples of how a penetrating mind grappled with one of the most significant reform programs in modern history. They will appreciate the creativity of his proposals, the scope and ambition of his vision, his resoluteness in crisis, and his strategic acuity. Henry A. Kissinger Throughout his political career, Zhu has always been a man of action, eager to implement the next feasible steps of reforms, yet always doing so with farsightedness. . . . This highly informative collection of speeches, minutes, and letters by Zhu Rongji deserves widespread attention. It is a unique historical document of China’s unprecedented economic evolution over the past few decades. And it gives a fascinating insight into the political work of Zhu Rongji— an exceptionally gifted statesman and a dear friend. Helmut Schmidt ...