Since the 1980s, China has gone through a transformation. The country’s economy has become privatized, changing from a communist to a more capitalist model, and political reforms have taken place as well. Problems in the country remain: restraints upon freedom, human rights abuses, pollution, and political unrest. Author Tom Streissguth explains the changes that have taken place in China, the challenges it still faces, and the concerns of the rest of the world as China grows in power and influence.