In this fully revised and updated third edition of China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know (R) , Jeffrey Wasserstrom and Maura Elizabeth Cunningham offer lucid answers to the most pressing questions about the newest superpower. They outline a framework for understanding China's rapid rise from developing nation to superpower. By focusing on historical legacies—such as Confucian thought, Western and Japanese imperialism, the Mao era, and the Tiananmen Square Massacre—Wasserstrom and Cunningham largely define China's present. They introduce readers to the Chinese Communist Party, the Shanghai construction boom, and the environmental impact of rapid Chinese industrialization. They also illuminate unique aspects of Chinese culture, including the one-child policy, and provide insights into Sino-American relations, a topic that has become increasingly complex during the Trump era. While Wasserstrom and Cunningham draw parallels between China and other industrialized nations during their development periods, particularly the United States during its rapid industrialization in the 19th century, they also offer insights into how China might behave in the future vis-à-vis the United States, Russia, India, and its East Asian neighbors. Updated with perspectives on the changing political status of Hong Kong and the tenure of President Xi Jinping, China in the 21st Century offers a concise and insightful introduction to this major global power.