According

to the Chinese zodiac, 2017 was the year of the ‘fire rooster’, an animal

often associated with the mythical fenghuang, a magnificently beautiful bird whose appearance is believed

to mark the beginning of a new era of peaceful flourishing. Considering the

auspicious symbolism surrounding the fenghuang, it is fitting that on 18 October 2017, President Xi Jinping

took to the stage of the Nineteenth Party Congress to proclaim the beginning

of a ‘new era’ for Chinese socialism. However, in spite of such ecumenical

proclamations, it became immediately evident that not all in China would be

welcome to reap the rewards promised by the authorities. Migrant workers, for

one, remain disposable. Lawyers, activists and even ordinary citizens who

dare to express critical views also hardly find a place in Xi’s brave new

world. This Yearbook traces the stark new ‘gilded age’ inaugurated by the

Chinese Communist Party. It does so through a collection of more than 40

original essays on labour, civil society and human rights in China and

beyond, penned by leading scholars and practitioners from around the world.