Drawing on over two decades of research in and on China and on extensive reviews of current scholarship, China: The Basics introduces listeners to the key aspects of Chinese society, culture, and politics.

The book provides an empirically rich overview of China's global position and the challenges posed by urbanization, uneven economic development, and environmental governance. With detailed vignettes giving a flavor of everyday life experiences, China: The Basics challenges simplistic approaches to China as a monolithic political unit by illustrating the nuances of citizens' agency in different realms, including work-based and gender-based inequality, social media activism, environmental protection, illness, and healthcare. It encourages listeners to reflect on the importance of scale across the themes discussed. Cross-cutting referencing between chapters enables listeners to identify cross-cutting themes and to consult chapters in their preferred order.

China: The Basics nurtures a critical and reflexive approach and provides listeners with a conceptual toolkit for engaging with new developments constructively. It will be essential listening for students, lecturers, and anyone curious about contemporary China.