The study provides a major reassessment of the scale and scope of Chinas resurgence over the past half century, employing quantitative measurement techniques which are standard practice in OECD countries. It uses a comparative approach to explain why Chinas role in the world economy has changed so dramatically in the last thousand years. It concludes that China is likely to resume its natural role as the worlds largest economy by the year 2015, thus regaining the position it had held until 1890. A dynamic link (StatLink) is provided for each table and graph, which directs the user to a web page where the corresponding data are available in Excel?โ?ยฎ format. Except for Appendix A, this edition has been revised and updated and Chapter 4 is completely new.Table of Content :Foreword by the Secretary-General of the OECD Acknowledgements Preface by Javier Santiso Author's Prelude to the Second Edition Summary and Conclusions Chapter 1. Intensive and Extensive Growth in Imperial China Chapter 2. Economic Decline and External Humiliation, 1820-1949 Chapter 3. Dynamics of Development in the New China Chapter 4. Problems and Prospects: The Outlook for China and the World Economy 2003-2030 Appendix A. Performance in Farming, Fishery, Forestry, and Agricultural Sidelines, China 1933-95 Appendix B. Industrial Performance, China, 1913-2003 Appendix C. Growth and Level of Chinese Gross National Product Appendix D. Population and Employment Appendix E. Foreign Trade Appendix F. People and Places in Pinyin and Wade-Giles Maps Bibliography