China's World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict Hardcover – 23 Feb. 2024

An extremely interesting book but tendacious in parts. He demonstrates convincingly that Chinese government is obsessed with domestic stability and operates in listening mode so that it can nip contentious matters in the bud. I think he also shows that although the government is by definition autocratic, there is far more internal discussion takes place than we realise before decisions are made. However, although the book was published recently, he completely ignores the impact of the current economic meltdown and how it might affect relations between citizen and state. He is incorrect in that China has never had an expantionist foreign policy. There are plenty of maps available to show the varying sizes of China through the ages. However, his plea for a better working relationship with the US is welcome. There are inevitably going to be issues between a rising state and a hegemon - his attempt to downplay the Thucidides trap is unconvincing - but it is in everybody's interest that these tensions are managed in a mutually beneficial way. The book is worth reading but for those with some knowledge of Chinese history will occasionally chuckle at his interpretation.