The People’s Republic of China 155
Chinese society today is more open to outside infl uences than at any time
since the Tang dynasty. The Chinese people may continue to seek out
and embrace new values and new roles, yet the Chinese cultural identity
has proven remarkably strong and enduring. The history of China and
its interactions with the world, with its deep patterns four millennia in
the making, will surely continue to shape Chinese life.
China has the world’s largest population, 1.3 billion, approxi-
mately four times the size of the United States and one-fi fth of the entire
world population of 6.6 billion. It is the largest authoritarian state in
the world, and for the past thirty years it has had by far the most rapidly
growing economy in the world. More Chinese are traveling, studying,
and working abroad than at any previous time in China’s long history.
In this light, it seems clear that China in the future will have a more
profound impact on the rest of the world than ever before.