This analysis of recent political events in China uses the history of the country to illustrate the shaping of the People's Republic of China, revealing one of the world's largest and least-visible political systems. From the ideological tensions and personal rivalries among the ruling octogenarians to the far-reaching political change that has already taken place outside Beijing, the text describes the impact of Mao - in particular through the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution - and the efforts of Deng Xiaoping to reform the Maoist system.