Challenging China ― Struggle and Hope in an Era of Change

Interest in China has never been greater, but the voices of the Chinese themselves often escape notice. Here, finally, is a book that reverses the trend by giving us a rare and important portrait of contemporary life within China—“written with style, honesty, and expertise born of intimate and often painful experience” (Ian Buruma). Mixing powerful personal stories with sobering analysis, this revealing book encompasses a broad range of social issues, from underage prostitution to the crackdown on religion. Featuring some of the first-ever eyewitness accounts from Chinese dissidents and their families—including testimony by the relatives of the imprisoned and the executed and descriptions of life in exile—Challenging China offers rare glimpses of the country’s ongoing political turmoil, as well as hope in the rising collective resistance. By turns moving, illuminating, and outraged,Challenging China is a revealing portrait of a country whose internal politics we can no longer afford to ignore.

Human Rights in China (HRIC) is an international nongovernmental organization founded by Chinese scientists and scholars to promote universally recognized human rights in the People’s Republic of China.