The Chinese Triangle of Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong - (Controversies in Science) by Alvin Y So & Dan A Chekki & Nan Lin & Dudley Poston

About the Book

The Chinese triangle of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan constitutes one of the most dynamic regions in the world economy. Since the late 1970s, these three societies have experienced increasing economic integration; however, studies aimed at analyzing and explaining this integration have often overlooked the very important role social institutions have played in the shaping of this process. To fill this gap, this book adopts a systematic institutional approach designed to examine the different patterns of institutions in the three countries and to discuss how such social institutions as the economy, gender, social networks, and the Chinese diaspora have exerted a profound impact on all three societies. The chapters, taken together, argue that different patterns of institutional configuration have led to divergent paths of development, and that this divergence will have significant implications on the prospects for Chinese national reunification in the twenty-first century.

The Introductory chapter provides a historical discussion on the origins and the transformation of the Chinese triangle during the second half of the twentieth century. The remainder of the volume is broken into four topics considered crucial for understanding the transformation of the Chinese triangle: economic transformation, gender, social networks, and the Chinese diaspora. As globalization impacts the Chinese triangle, studies that consider the issues from the perspective of social institutions will be increasingly important to understanding the area as it develops in the world economy.

Book Synopsis

The Chinese triangle of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan constitutes one of the most dynamic regions in the world economy. Since the late 1970s, these three societies have experienced increasing economic integration; however, studies aimed at analyzing and explaining this integration have often overlooked the very important role social institutions have played in the shaping of this process. To fill this gap, this book adopts a systematic institutional approach designed to examine the different patterns of institutions in the three countries and to discuss how such social institutions as the economy, gender, social networks, and the Chinese diaspora have exerted a profound impact on all three societies. The chapters, taken together, argue that different patterns of institutional configuration have led to divergent paths of development, and that this divergence will have significant implications on the prospects for Chinese national reunification in the twenty-first century.

The Introductory chapter provides a historical discussion on the origins and the transformation of the Chinese triangle during the second half of the twentieth century. The remainder of the volume is broken into four topics considered crucial for understanding the transformation of the Chinese triangle: economic transformation, gender, social networks, and the Chinese diaspora. As globalization impacts the Chinese triangle, studies that consider the issues from the perspective of social institutions will be increasingly important to understanding the area as it develops in the world economy.

Review Quotes

"[C]ontains useful information and analyses of the topics covered." --Royal Society for Asian Affairs

"[H]as excellent potential to make ground-breaking theoretical contributions by relating the Chinese experience to both the theoretical debates on social embeddedness and the well-documented processes of regional integration in Europe and North America. . . . [T]his volume is very well conceived and organized. It stands out as one of the most informative, thoughtful and fresh interpretations of the rapid changes in the Chinese economies in the current era of globalization." --Pacific Affairs

"[O]ffers a rich information and excellent insights about evolving institutions at a time of great societal transformation and, in this way, it is a timely sociological reading on Chinese societies. I recommend Chinese Triangle to students of contemporary Chinese society and culture as a reference for their social research programs and classroom instruction." --The Journal of Asian Studies

About the Author

Alvin Y. So is professor and head of the Division of Social Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His recent books include Hong Kong's Embattled Democracy and Asia's Environmental Movements.

Nan Lin is professor of sociology at Duke University. Tunghai University, Taiwan, received his MA from Syracuse University, and finished his PhD at Michigan State University in 1966. He has published many books and articles.

Dudley Poston is Samuel Rhea Gammon professor of liberal arts at Texas A & M University. He was the President of the North American Chinese Sociologists Association. He has published numerous books and articles on Chinese population.