The Run of the Red Queen

“An important book. It should make both Chinese bureaucrats and Western pundits think twice before pronouncing on China’s ‘innovation deficit.’” —Schumpeter, The Economist

Winner of the Susan Strange Best Book Award, as given by the British International Studies Association

Few observers are unimpressed by the economic ambition of China or by the nation’s remarkable rate of growth. But what does the future hold? This meticulously researched book closely examines the strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese economic system to discover where the nation may be headed and what the Chinese experience reveals about emerging market economies. The authors find that contrary to popular belief, cutting edge innovation is not a prerequisite for sustained economic vitality and that China is a perfect case in point.

“Run of the Red Queen gives us the smartest view of the most important question facing Beijing’s economic planners: the sustainability of Chinese growth. The answers in Breznitz’s and Murphree’s important work are as intriguing as they are fresh.” —Gordon Chang, author of Plan Red

“Gives us an entirely new way of thinking about innovation and economic development. By focusing on the specific kinds of innovation that flourish in China, and the institutional and geographical factors at play, Breznitz and Murphree offer a fascinating and nuanced view of how technology is developing in the world’s fastest growing economy.” —Arthur Kroeber, editor, China Economic Quarterly