Examining the crimes that have recently been of the greatest concern in China, the authors assess the imbalance between public order and human rights in the way the Chinese legal system deals with crime. The issue of crime is of particular importance, both because current social upheaval in China has greatly contributed to the increase of new crimes, and because there is increasing international interest in Chinese law following the country’s accession to the World Trade Organization.

This is an in-depth study on contemporary Chinese law reform, presenting a fascinating portrait of a society and legal system grappling with vast social change.