The world has witnessed the rise of China, and there is a sustained debate on the China model. While some scholars believe that the China model is obsolete, others regard the China model as a threat to democracy. This book takes an empirical approach and regards the China model as it is and looks into different aspects of the China model, ranging from economic growth, social development, central-local relations to the development of internal pluralism, the rise of civil society and rural democracy. Given the fact that China's reform and opening up since the late Deng Xiaoping has taken place in the context of globalization, the book draws implications of the China model for the world. Particularly, the book attempts to examine the impact of China's socio-economic development model on democratization.