How to deal with an ever-changing China

Men read newspapers in a corner a square in front of Beijing station surrounded by their belongings. People arrive every day from rural communities looking for work. Photo taken by Minoru Iwasaki.

China is in the midst of great change. The nation's accelerating switch to a market economy is growing the economy and increasingly moving people in and out of China. The society itself is changing, but where is this dynamic change headed? Will China pose a threat to Japan's day-to-day living? Or is its economic development just temporary and headed for a collapse?

These are the questions facing us today as we commemorate the 30th anniversary of Japan's normalizing ties with China. The Asahi Shimbun Asia Network (AAN) and its research team studying ''Getting along with an ever-changing China'' proposes new approaches to relations between the two nations. The team has compiled a series of articles commemorating the 30th anniversary. The following articles are part of this series.

【AAN research team on ''Getting along with an ever-changing China''】 　Leader 　　　　Hiroki Nagamochi （Asahi Shimbun foreign news department） 　Researchers 　　　　Noboru Nagaoka （Asahi Shimbun editorial division） 　　　　Toshihiko Hanano （Asahi Shimbun Research Center） 　Guest researchers 　　　　Yoshiharu Tsuboi （Waseda University professor of modern Vietnamese politics） 　　　　Shigeto Sonoda （Chuo University professor of Chinese sociology）

Opportunities improve, putting people on the move 　（Shigeto Sonoda）
The question: Is China really an economic threat? 　（Yoshiharu Tsuboi）
China with soaring population proving a mighty competitor 　（Hiroki Nagamochi）
Class distinction grows as farms modernize, expand in China 　（Noboru Nagaoka）
Mixed feelings over market economy 　（Shigeto Sonoda）
Statistics on modern China