This book investigates the complex intersection of state policy, cultural discourse, and the regulation of sex work within contemporary China. Elaine Jeffreys, a scholar specializing in Chinese gender and sexuality, utilizes a rigorous analytical framework to challenge prevailing academic narratives. By synthesizing a vast array of primary legal documents and secondary literature, she argues that the policing of prostitution serves as a critical lens for understanding broader shifts in Chinese social governance and gender politics.

Experts in the field of China studies and sociology recognize this work as a significant contribution to the discourse on state-regulated morality. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for scholars and researchers rather than a general audience.