China and its freedoms. A dilemma for the 21st century

Never before has an Olympic torch been so controversial. Perhaps because never before have the Olympic Games been used in such a palpable way to disguise the social and political reality of a country that, despite repelling democracy, has the silent consent of the Western world. It is not in vain that China is one of the most powerful engines of the global economy.

But how did China get here, and why have the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games become a double-edged sword, both for the Chinese dictatorship and for Western democracies? These doubts have led to an analysis of China’s recent history, its connections with international politics and the international economy and, above all, to venture what can be expected in the immediate future from a country that, in terms of human, technological and economic potential, is on its way to becoming one of the leaders of the era of globalization.