In absolute terms, if you look at situations around the world, there are many societies - and I would name somewhere like Colombia as being an obvious example - where it's clear that the relationship between the state and rural society is in terminal freefall. China is a very long way from being in that state, partly because the government itself is much stronger.
"Rana Mitter" is a British historian who specialises in the history of republican China. He is Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China at the Institute for Chinese Studies at Oxford University, and a Fellow of St Cross College. His 2013 book China’s War with Japan, 1937-1945: The Struggle for Survival, about the Second Sino-Japanese War, was well received by critics.
He is also a regular presenter for Night Waves on BBC Radio 3.
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