"今天，世界上越来越多的人希望了解中国，而要深入了解和真正理解今天的中国是怎样来的，中国道路是怎样走出来的，就必须了解和认识时代的中国。翻看和体会时代的中国故事，
读懂今天的中国。"

在新中国70多年的历史上，有这样一个时代，人们称之为时代。从旧中国到新中国，从革命到建设，时代完成了中华民族有史以来最为广泛而深刻的社会变革，为当代一切发展进步奠定了根本政治前提和制度基础，实现了中华民族由不断衰落到根本扭转命运，持续走向繁荣富强的历史性飞跃。本书力图生动还原时代的中国在政治、经济、社会、外交各个领域的重大决策和运行体制，及其背后的历史逻辑和故事逻辑，从而让世界更加读懂中国。

"Contents

Preface
Mao Zedong and His Era
Four gunshots and the fate of China / 2
From“Old China”to“New China” / 7
Why did he become the soul of the era? / 10
Before the mission of the times / 12
Roads, dreams, and legends / 17

Chapter One
Historical Questions and Answers
“Grand unity is great strength” / 22
“Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun” / 28
“It takes a great party to guide a great revolution” / 37
The will of the people trumps everything / 41

Chapter Two
What Was “New” About New China?
New image of national independence / 51
New look of people’s liberation / 56
New situation of national unity / 63

Chapter Three
Entering Socialism
It is only a matter of time before we build socialism / 74
Why set the clock forward? / 78
A road of peaceful transformation / 86

Chapter Four
Breakthroughs in the Cold War Context
Siding with the Soviet Union / 98
Strike first to spare being stricken a hundred times / 103
Tearing apart the trade blockade / 108
Two international conferences, one Chinese approach / 113

Chapter Five
Top-Level Design
Why 1956? / 124
Clarifying the“Ten Major Relationships” / 128
A grand meeting and a new route / 133
Judgments and choices during an“eventful year” / 137

Chapter Six
Periods of Planning
How was the economic plan compiled? / 148
Food, clothing and daily necessities for the people / 155
“Do not rush the construction of socialism” / 160
From development strategy to economic layout / 169

Chapter Seven
Policy Toward Intellectuals
Originally“intellectuals” / 178
Solidarity, education and transformation / 185
Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend / 193
Winning the battle of science and technology / 200

Chapter Eight
Transforming Social Traditions
Removing“malignant tumors”and old customs / 212
The new social customs / 218
A dualistic structure of rural and urban areas / 224
The spirit of the times / 231

Chapter Nine
National Governance
Break the“cycle of history” / 241
How were the“nation’s leaders”tempered? / 248
“A game of chess, and a bamboo pole” / 254
On the Cultural Revolution / 260

Chapter Ten
New Role in the International Arena
Deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations / 268
Friends in the“intermediate zones” / 272
A handshake across the Pacific / 278
Back to the UN / 284

Postscript / 290"