Halper argues that China's internal dynamics dictate the country's rapid expansion. With massive fissures in Chinese society between the haves and the have-nots, the Chinese Communist Party has to sustain double-digit economic growth to keep its citizens content.

Introduction -- China and the global shift -- The rise and fall of the Washington concensus -- The China effect -- The competitive edge: "State-directed capitalism" -- The myth of inevitability -- The problem in Washington -- Conclusion.