The assumption still made in much social science research that Europe provides a universal model of development is fundamentally mistaken, according to R. Bin Wong. The solution is not, however, simply to reject Eurocentric norms but to build complementary perspectives, such as a Sinocentric one, to evaluate current understandings of European developments. A genuinely comparative perspective, he argues, will free China from wrong expectations and will allow those working on European problems to recognize the distinct character of Western development.

R. Bin Wong is Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine. He is coauthor of Nourish the People: State Civilian Granaries in China, 1650-1850 and Societies and Cultures in World History.