For 700 years, ever since outsiders first wrote about the place, the world has believed there are untold riches to be harvested in China. More recently, with the rise of globalisation, the spread of capitalism, and the growth in its population to 1.3 billion, the belief in China's unparalleled potential has taken on the order of an obsession. During the 90s, China astounded the world with double-digit annual growth rates while attracting over $300 billion in foreign investment. Politicians, economists and business leaders everywhere foresaw in China a market for goods and services to dwarf all others.In this thoroughly researched and engaging book, Joe Studwell provides a provocative analysis of the 'China Dream'. He takes to task these predictions of growth - and instead foresees an economic crisis for China in the wake of the foreign-investment gold rush of the last ten years. A crisis that will destroy the hopes of outsiders realising their investment dreams.