Joining the Modern World: Inside and Outside China.

Throughout the 20th century, all kinds of Chinese people tried to be "modern".

At the same time, the standards of modernity have been set elsewhere and they always seem to be higher than what has been achieved.

That makes most of the Chinese work harder, but some may well wonder if standards rise so that China will always get a poor report card at the end of each year.;The ongoing drama of Chinese people seeking to be modern has been enacted in different parts of the world.

There are interesting differences among these Chinese, depending on where they have been living.

The general trend, however, is unmistakable. The striving for betterment is supported by a strong capacity to adapt and change, and this is reflected in the way the Chinese seize new opportunities when they occur.

The essays in this volume describe some of these efforts both inside and outside China, and form a small mosaic of Chinese practising the art of "modernizing".