June 2009 - Issue 423

It’s a year of anniversaries in China – 60 years of communist control; 30 years since capitalists joined the party; and 20 years ago next month since tanks rolled over Chinese reform movements in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

As the US falters on the world stage, China is stepping into the spotlight. Yet the lines that it will deliver are still not clear. While some say Chinese communism will save world capitalism, others think the country’s manic economic growth will kill us all. And while some welcome China’s ‘hands-off’ approach to global affairs, others point to Beijing’s economic support of some of the world’s worst regimes. This month we take a critical look at China’s global reach.