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China Shakes the World: A Titan's Rise and Troubled Future -- and the Challenge for America

Average customer rating:

Well written, informative book
A Journalist's Eye
All Shook Up
China Shakes the World
Great reading for those interested in China's influence

China Shakes the World: A Titan's Rise and Troubled Future -- and the Challenge for America
James Kynge
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0618705643

Book Description

"Let China sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world." Napoleon's words seem eerily prescient today, as the shock waves from China's awakening reverberate across the globe. In China Shakes the World, the former China bureau chief of the Financial Times, James Kynge, traces these tremors from Beijing to Europe to the Midwest as China's ravenous hunger for jobs, raw materials, energy, and food -- and its export of goods, workers, and investments -- drastically reshape world trade and politics.

Delving beyond mere recitation of by-now-familiar statistics, Kynge's on-the-ground reporting provides alternative explanations for China's explosive transformation, revealing many of the usual reasons given for its growth to be myths. Most important for the future, he details China's deep, systemic weaknesses -- rampant fraud, crippling environmental crises, a corrupt banking system, faltering government institutions, a rapidly aging population -- that threaten even greater global disruptions. And he demonstrates the profound consequences of those weaknesses for American manufacturers, oil companies, banks, and ordinary consumers.

Through dramatic stories of entrepreneurs and visionaries, factory workers and store clerks at the heart of this global phenomenon, China Shakes the World explains how China's breakneck rise occurred, the extraordinary problems the country now faces, and the consequences of both for the twenty-first century.

Customer Reviews:

Well written, informative book.......2007-06-01

This book is money and time well spent if you're interested in a contemporary survey of China.

Kynge really does an outstanding job with a complex topic. He has a journalist's nose for a story, is well connected in China, and the length of time he lived in the country allows him to really portray his observations in a sophisticated cultural and historical context. He nicely weaves in statistics and facts throughout the book without distracting from the narrative.

A Journalist's Eye.......2007-05-24

I've loved the lyrical quality of this book. It looks at the many problems facing China from the ground up and individual journalist's eyes. For a big picture view that is based more on economic analysis, see my own book: The Coming China Wars: Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won

All Shook Up.......2007-05-12

The incredible economic momentum in China necessitated by the rush of the population to the cities is creating economic tidal waves throughout the world. However, their economic surge is not without problems, such as widespread pollution. An excellent and informative read.

China Shakes the World.......2007-02-28

China Shakes the World is a brief anecdotal survey of China's rise as a great economic power. I took three major themes from the book:

- Many of the Chinese government's current policies are forced upon it. China's people have come to expect sustained high growth rates, and a failure to meet this expectation would have severe consequences for China's rulers. To encourage high growth rates, and because they are not democratically accountable, China's leaders simply ignore the adverse consequences of rapid growth, such as environmental damage. Yet the long-term consequences are inescapable. In the realm of foreign policy, China's most urgent need is access to natural resources. This need forces China to engage with some unsavory regimes and use its influence in the United Nations to protect them from international pressure.

- Much of China's current economic strength is the result of starting from a low base: while China has been at least a regional power for millennia, it has not done a good job of providing for its people. As a result, its rural population in particular is willing to undergo almost any hardship to escape grinding poverty. China's rapid economic growth can also be explained, in part, as a reaction to the loosening of artificial restraints on growth: e.g., totalitarian controls that prohibited any type of private enterprise until 1978 and China's isolation from the rest of the world during much of its history.

- China is pursuing the development strategy pioneered by Japan and the Asian tigers of climbing the technology ladder from relatively undemanding manufactures that rely on cheap labor (e.g., textiles) to more capital-intensive manufactures, specifically targeting machine tool manufacturing as a strategic industry. Because of China's extremely inexpensive, disciplined, and well-educated work force, and because its manufacturers emphasize market share over profit, there is little that the West can do to compete with China in many manufacturing sectors.

On these points, I found author James Krynge, a Financial Times reporter, to be convincing and reasonably entertaining. I found him to be less so when he indulges in some Lou Dobbs-style populism in decrying the effect of China's manufacturing prowess on U.S. manufacturers.

Great reading for those interested in China's influence.......2007-02-22

This is one of the best books I have read on contemporary China. The author provides a balanced look at the worldwide effects of a modernizing nation backed by extensive research. His personal accounts of individuals affected by this rapidly growing economy provides an interesting backdrop to the main story he is telling -- the challenge of balancing economic and social prosperity.

America's Financial Apocalypse: How to Profit from the Next Great Depression

Average customer rating:

A chilling but accurate expose of how we came to be in such economic peril as a capitalist nation
This Book Has NO Comparable!
Hold on there....
Well done!
The Only Book To Get on America's Economy and Major Problems Ahead

America's Financial Apocalypse: How to Profit from the Next Great Depression
Stathis
Manufacturer: AVA Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Great Bust Ahead: The Greatest Depression in American and UK History is Just Several Short Years Away. This is your Concise Reference Guide to Understanding Why and How Best to Survive It

ASIN: 0975577654

Product Description

By the early 90s, a raging bull market was delivering spectacular returns, causing some to believe that a market collapse and subsequent depression would soon appear. As a result of these fears, some exited the capital markets altogether. Thereafter, the Internet took off causing the market bubble to swell, many high-tech stocks with seemingly limitless valuations. Over the course of its 13-year stretch, the market appreciated by over 600 percent, with average annual returns in excess of 18 percent. And we all remember what happened at the start of the new millennium. Even after the deflation of the Internet bubble, cautious investors who pulled out of the market a decade earlier missed out on spectacular returns since then. Many investors who entered the market near its peak suffered devastating losses. But most who remained invested since the early 90s are still much better off today. While this correction revealed the most recent illusions embedded within the economy, it s only a small part of what will be a larger correction in the coming years. Despite the scandals in corporate America and Wall Street, many investors fail to recognize that the post-bubble period is quite different from the Bull Run in the 90s. But today, the capital markets have been realigned with authenticity, and economics now control the investment cycle rather than hype generated by Wall Street. Accordingly, Wall Street and the U.S. Government can only hide the realities of America s decline for so long. Unfortunately, America entered the free trade paradigm as a losing participant from the start. While America remains as the centerpiece for the global economy, it relies on record debt to maintain its status as the world s strongest consumer marketplace. But this cannot last much longer. America s vulnerable role in the new economy threatens to erode the strength of its empire. Already, America has witnessed a gradual disappearance of its core citizens; the middle class. As well, poverty continues to grow while America s wealthiest quintile increases their wealth. These trends have been masked by record levels of credit-based spending and manipulation of economic data. For over two decades, several nations have benefited at the expense of America s job base and living standards. This led to a long period of excessive consumption relative to productivity. When the economic boom from the post-war period began to lose steam in the 60s, consumption began to exceed productivity, as Americans refused to acknowledge a decline in living standards. Up until the 70s, America fueled this consumption-production disparity using the surplus wealth generated during the post-war boom. During the 80s, America s growing consumption was compounded by massive government spending and a devastating oil crisis. Shortly thereafter, the consumer credit industry grew to meet the demands of a nation experiencing large productivity deficits. And today, America is vastly different than the post-war period. Rather than increases in net wealth, America s growth over the past two decades has been fueled by credit spending which has created the illusion of impressive productivity, while serving to mask declining living standards. As a consequence of these changes, America s financial industry is now one of its biggest and most profitable. Today, America is more dependent on foreign nations than anytime in its history. Declining oil reserves and a foreign-funded credit bubble have positioned the fate of this nation in the hands of the world. Soon, America will face the economic burden of 76 million aging boomers. Beginning in 2011, mandatory expenditures for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will start to grow rapidly. By 2025, these expenses will have swelled to unthinkable levels.

Customer Reviews:

A chilling but accurate expose of how we came to be in such economic peril as a capitalist nation.......2007-06-10

In writing "America's Financial Apocalypse: How To Profit From The Next Great Depression", the author draws upon his many years of experience and expertise as a business, financial, and investment consultant for two of Wall Street's largest investment firms and elsewhere in private financial markets. Strathis provides an impressively analytical explanation as to how the liberals on the left and the conservatives on the right are working in differing ways to destroy America's fiscal and economic well-being; how the federal government in Washington is dominated by corporations; how China has taken total advantage of America's trading policies to our nation's detriment. Readers will be shocked to learn how America is legally bankrupt; how today the 'American Dream' cannot be achieved by most American citizens; the truth concerning the future of Social Security; the inevitable and looming consequences of the present pension plan crisis; and why most Americans working today will not be able to retire as their parent were able to in the past. "America's Financial Apocalypse" also addresses just how the American government manipulates economic data; how the Bush administration is responsible for the worst economic recovery in American financial history; how the real estate bubble could cause the stock and bond markets to collapse; how America's political and economic fate is in the hands of foreign countries; why the American government is really allied to the Saudi Arabians despite the established identities of the 9/11 attack; the looming global oil crisis; Alan Greenspans dismal performance as a Fed Chairman; the plummeting value of the dollar in the international currency markets; and the continuing rise in value of precious metals and oil. After laying out all of these 'inconvenient truths' about America's economic future, Strathis also lays out how the wise and savvy investor can still profit from an inevitable depression that will collapse America's economy in the very near future. A chilling but accurate expose of how we came to be in such economic peril as a capitalist nation, "America's Financial Apocalypse" is especially recommended reading for its clear and methodical explanation of just how the individual investor can survive what will prove to be the 'Next Great Depression'.

This Book Has NO Comparable!.......2007-04-05

Finally, an insightful, detailed, and massive compilation of America's economy and investment markets. This book is HIGHY recommended.

The reviewer below is actually wrong in his simplistic assumption that deflation is the exact opposite of inflation. While deflation tends to cause a relative increase in buying power, this effect is only when deflation is modest and in the early stages. During a more prolonged period, deflation creates a decline in GDP and therefore purchasing power due to the relative effects on currency exchange rates.

I find it amazing that a person could give such a bad review over one statement that he thinks is wrong (when in fact it is not) despite all of the massive data and extensive coverage of material. If a reader chooses to cherry pick from within a massive resource such as this book, they will miss the forest from the trees.

Hold on there...........2007-04-05

After spending $55+ for this book, I started to leaf through it and promptly came across the following comment: "...rising gold prices usually result from a deflationary economy not an inflationary one, as investors seek to minimize the loss in buying power of their currency." So far as I know, a deflationary environment INCREASES the buying power of one's currency, as prices generally decrease during a deflationary episode. In other words, one can buy more loaves of bread per dollar in the bank. Gold is generally a hedge against inflation or fiat currency collapse, not deflation. Given what seems to me a basic error of this nature, I will be skeptical of other information in the book.

Well done!.......2007-04-02

I have read a dozen books that attempt to cover similar topics in a piecemeal fashion; this book is clearly more comprehensive. The author is very forward looking in his compelling explanation of the structural challenges that will soon face America as a nation. The vast majority of Americans are oblivious to the massive "tsunami" of political and economic challenges that will crash on the shores of our nation within the next 1-2 decades. Read this book and get informed; it will motivate you to reflect on your priorities.

The Only Book To Get on America's Economy and Major Problems Ahead.......2007-01-20

A few days ago, after having heard Bernanke's speech about America's imminent financial crisis related to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, as well as the hint that America might allow illegal immigrants to become citizens as one way to help pay for these financial liabilities, I could not help but think of this book, which had already alerted me to these issues. What people who have not read this book do not realize is that Bernanke's speech was no news.

As a matter of fact, the author states that the forecasts by the Congressional Budget Office are way too conservative and could be as low as 50% understated. What Bernanke failed to mention also was that the interest on the national debt is also adding to the gov expenditures and will soar over the next two decades. If Bush's privitization plan goes throuh and his tax cuts are made pernanent, the percentage of GDP spent on all of the above could approach 50% in a few decades.

The present value of the liabilities for Medicare, Medicaid and SS are $51-$72 TRILLION.

This is just one of hundreds of issues detailed in the spectacular book. If you really like to get into a book for its data and analysis, you'll love this book. If you like a simple generic read this book is not for you. But if you want much better knowledge and understanding about the real issues America faces than the media and politicians, this book is all you need.

The best thing about the book is that he explains things from a basic level and then leads you into a detailed analysis. I have already read the book three times and each time I learned more. This is a book I plan to keep for a very long time.

China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World

Average customer rating:

The Tom Wolfe of China
Please blame everything on China, is this a new trend to cover up American "disastrous" foreign policy?
Excellent reference background.....
Wow!!! What an eye opener...
very ethnocentric book

China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World
Ted C. Fishman
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743257359

Amazon.com

China has the world's most rapidly changing large economy, and according to Ted Fishman, it is forcing the world to change along with it. "No country has ever before made a better run at climbing every step of economic development all at once," he writes, in China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World. China is currently the largest maker of toys, clothing, and consumer electronics, and is swiftly moving up the ladder in car production, computer manufacturing, biotechnology, aerospace, telecommunications, and other sectors thanks to low-cost, high-tech factories. China is also where the world is investing. In 2004, for instance, the city of Shanghai alone attracted over $12 billion in direct foreign investment, roughly the same amount as all of Indonesia and Mexico received. In tracing China's ascendancy over the past 30 years (with annual growth of an astonishing 9.5 percent), Fishman presents a flood of facts, figures, forecasts, and anecdotes and examines the implications of this unprecedented growth for China, the U.S., and the rest of the world.

Calling China's huge population "arguably the greatest natural resource on the planet," Fishman details how hundreds of millions of peasants have migrated from rural to urban areas to find manufacturing jobs, providing an unlimited, low-wage workforce to power China's economy. In the process, this shift has changed both Chinese culture and the global business climate in significant ways. Simply put, American companies can't compete with wages as low as 25 cents an hour and lack of regulation and oversight, so are forced to move their operations to China or completely change the focus of their business. And it's not just a problem for the U.S.--even Mexico is outsourcing to China. Though it remains to be seen whether this will truly be the "Chinese Century" as Fishman asserts, China, Inc. is a brisk and informative look at why so many American corporations, and American jobs, are heading to China. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

China today is visible everywhere -- in the news, in the economic pressures battering the globe, in our workplaces, and in every trip to the store. Provocative, timely, and essential -- and updated with new statistics and information -- this dramatic account of China's growing dominance as an industrial superpower by journalist Ted C. Fishman explains how the profound shift in the world economic order has occurred -- and why it already affects us all.

How has an enormous country once hobbled by poverty and Communist ideology come to be the supercharged center of global capitalism? What does it mean that China now grows three times faster than the United States? Why do nearly all of the world's biggest companies have large operations in China? What does the corporate march into China mean for workers left behind in America, Europe, and the rest of the world?

Meanwhile, what makes China's emerging corporations so dangerously competitive? What will happen when China manufactures nearly everything -- computers, cars, jumbo jets, and pharmaceuticals -- that the United States and Europe can, at perhaps half the cost? How do these developments reach around the world and straight into all of our lives?

These are ground-shaking questions, and China, Inc. provides answers.

Veteran journalist Ted C. Fishman shows how China will force all of us to make big changes in how we think about ourselves as consumers, workers, citizens, and even as parents. The result is a richly engaging work of penetrating, up-to-the-minute reportage and brilliant analysis that will forever change how readers think about America's future.

Download Description

"China today is visible everywhere -- in the news, in the economic pressures battering america, in the workplace, and in every trip to the store. provocative, timely, and essential, this dramatic account of china's growing dominance as an industrial super-power by journalist Ted C. Fishman explains how the profound shift in the global economic order has occurred -- and why it already affects us all. How has an enormous country once hobbled by poverty and Communist ideology come to be the supercharged center of global capitalism? What does it mean that China now grows three times faster than the United States? That China uses 40 percent of the world's concrete and 25 percent of its steel? What is the global impact of 300 million rural Chinese walking off their farms and heading to the cities in the greatest migration in human history? Why do nearly all of the world's biggest companies now have large-scale operations in China? What does the corporate march into China mean for workers left behind in America, Europe, and the rest of the world? Meanwhile, what makes China's emerging corporations so dangerously competitive? What could happen when China will be able to manufacture nearly everything -- computers, cars, jumbo jets, and pharmaceuticals -- that the United States and Europe can, at perhaps half the cost? How do these developments reach around the world and straight into the lives of all Americans? These are ground-shaking questions, and China, Inc. provides answers.Veteran journalist and former commodities trader Ted C. Fishman paints a vivid picture of the megatrends radiating out of China. Fishman's account begins with the burgeoning output of China's vast low-cost factories and the swelling appetite of its 1.3 billion consumers, both of which are being driven by historically unprecedented infusions of foreign capital and technological know-how. Traveling through China's frenetic landscape of growth, Fishman visits the factories, markets, streets, stores, towns, and cities where the story of Chinese capitalism is being lived by one-fifth of all humanity. Fishman also draws on interviews with Chinese, American, and European workers, managers, and executives to show how China will force all of us to make big changes in how we think about ourselves as consumers, workers, citizens, and even as parents. The result is a richly engaging work of penetrating, up-to-the-minute reportage and brilliant analysis that will forever change how readers think about America's future. "

Customer Reviews:

The Tom Wolfe of China.......2007-05-24

This a kaleidoscopic view of the most dynamic country today on the planet. Sit down, strap up, and read the Electric Kool Aid Acid Test of the 21st Century. For a harder analytical edge, read my own volume The Coming China Wars: Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won

Please blame everything on China, is this a new trend to cover up American "disastrous" foreign policy? .......2007-05-11

So with all due respect:

1) If China is so bad, don't do business there, no one is forcing you
2) All American CEO who deals with China are unpatriotic Americans
3) All American CEO who outsource to China and India are immoral capitalist
4) All American CEO who deal with China should pay a fine or go to Jail. -But they are not! And as matter of facts, they are getting big bonuses.
5) Don't blame the Chinese, they are providing a service (cheap) but American consumers and executives are the ones knocking on their doors.
6) You can't have both ways; you can't try to use cheap labor in 3rd world countries and then turn around and point fingers at the people you are doing business with.

7) Stop bringing up the WWII theory on some of these comments, just because the USA fought and won WWI -which is GREAT! It does not mean the USA is correct FOREVER...common sense.

Excellent reference background............2007-04-11

My team at work does a lot of business with China and after one of the engineers read the book, we ordered about 15 copies for the entire department to read, we felt it was so worthwhile!

Wow!!! What an eye opener..........2007-04-01

This put the whole thing into prespective. Slow reading, but very interesting and very well presented

very ethnocentric book.......2007-02-20

This book offended me. The author assumes that the United States holds the rightful position of global superpower, but as China threatens to topple our superiority, they are blamed for doing exactly what the U.S. has been doing overseas for decades. The author even went to the extent of making up a bunch of false scenarios at the beginning of the book - yes, that Chinese woman who is in the United States to work and whose daughter attends the same school as yours must surely be an evil creature, as must be the man who got Lasik surgery in China for 600 dollars.
Don't waste your money on this book. I'm very sorry I bought it.

One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China (Wall Street Journal Book)

Average customer rating:

A Business with China Must Read
Doing Business in China
Insights into how modern China functions
Excellent Primer for Westerner's Negotiating in China
Really good book on China's expected impact on business

One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China (Wall Street Journal Book)
James McGregor
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Chinese Century: The Rising Chinese Economy and Its Impact on the Global Economy, the Balance of Power, and Your Job
China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World

ASIN: 0743258398

Book Description

It is well known that with a population of 1.3 billion people, China's market is moving quickly toward surpassing those of North America and Europe combined. Companies from the United States and around the globe are flocking there to buy, sell, manufacture, and create new products. But as former Wall Street Journal China bureau chief turned successful corporate executive James McGregor explains, business in China is conducted with a lot of subterfuge -- nothing is as it seems and nothing about doing business in China is easy.

Destined to become the bible for business people in China, One Billion Customers shows how to navigate the often treacherous waters of Chinese deal-making. Brilliantly written by an author who has lived in China for nearly two decades, the book reveals indispensable, street-smart strategies, tactics, and lessons for succeeding in the world's fastest growing consumer market.

Foreign companies rightly fear that Chinese partners, customers, or suppliers will steal their technology or trade secrets or simply pick their pockets. Testy relations between China's Communist leaders and the United States and other democracies can trap foreign companies in a political crossfire. McGregor has seen or experienced it all, and now he shares his insights into how China really works.

One Billion Customers maximizes the expansive knowledge of a respected journalist, well-known businessman, and ultimate China insider, offering compelling narratives of personalities, business deals, and lessons learned -- from Morgan Stanley's creation of a joint-venture Chinese investment bank to the pleasure dome of a smuggler whose $6 billion operation demonstrates how corruption greases the wheels of Chinese commerce. With nearly 100 strategies for conducting business in China, this unprecedented account combines practical lessons with the story of China's remarkable rise to power.

Download Description

"It is well known that with a population of 1.3 billion people, China's market is moving quickly toward surpassing those of North America and Europe combined. Companies from the United States and around the globe are flocking there to buy, sell, manufacture, and create new products. But as former Wall Street Journal China bureau chief turned successful corporate executive James McGregor explains, business in China is conducted with a lot of subterfuge -- nothing is as it seems and nothing about doing business in China is easy. Destined to become the bible for business people in China, One Billion Customers shows how to navigate the often treacherous waters of Chinese deal-making. Brilliantly written by an author who has lived in China for nearly two decades, the book reveals indispensable, street-smart strategies, tactics, and lessons for succeeding in the world's fastest growing consumer market. Foreign companies rightly fear that Chinese partners, customers, or suppliers will steal their technology or trade secrets or simply pick their pockets. Testy relations between China's Communist leaders and the United States and other democracies can trap foreign companies in a political crossfire. McGregor has seen or experienced it all, and now he shares his insights into how China really works. One Billion Customers maximizes the expansive knowledge of a respected journalist, well-known businessman, and ultimate China insider, offering compelling narratives of personalities, business deals, and lessons learned -- from Morgan Stanley's creation of a joint-venture Chinese investment bank to the pleasure dome of a smuggler whose $6 billion operation demonstrates how corruption greases the wheels of Chinese commerce. With nearly 100 strategies for conducting business in China, this unprecedented account combines practical lessons with the story of China's remarkable rise to power. "

Customer Reviews:

A Business with China Must Read.......2007-06-07

Mr McGregor has a unique insight into the psyche of Chinese Entrepreneurs, Managers, Workers, and most importantly the "Powers that be" within the Government of China. His case studies of how things can go right as well as how things can go wrong provide the reader with a great road map as what TO do and what NOT to do while conducting business in China.
Excellent reference book for doing business with the soon to be biggest economy of the world.

Doing Business in China.......2007-05-08

This is a very good book to give you a general overview of business practices in China. I had to buy it since it was required for one of my MBA classes and I did enjoy reading it.

Insights into how modern China functions.......2007-04-06

This book is interesting and easily readable. A series of significant business ventures are described in enough detail to understand, but with the main focus on the forces that drive the events. The book helps the reader to see business ventures in China from the Chinese point of view. It seems to be written for senior executives that may be contemplating the establishment of business ventures in China. It will be interesting and useful also to readers who invest in Chinese companies or mutual funds, as well as to anyone who would like to understand more about how modern China functions.

The author, who speaks Mandarin, and who was previously the China Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, is well connected at senior levels in Chinese business, political and media circles. He is able to gain insights and learn details about how and why things happen or do not happen in China. For example, Chinese government officials avoid individual responsibility for decisions, preferring the political safety of group decisions, so it is vital for western business people to establish relationships with more than one senior official. Each chapter ends with a short summary of lessons to be learned from the experiences of others doing business in China.

Excellent Primer for Westerner's Negotiating in China.......2007-03-24

Great insight into the Chinese mindset and value matrix, with a disected case study of the Morgan Stanley-CICC first investment bank that reads like a flowchart in avoiding trouble.

Also some interesting tidbits on China-US politics, who the author thinks had a good grasp on Int'l policy and who sold the US out.

Really good book on China's expected impact on business.......2007-03-13

1 billion customers... need we say more? This book does a good job helping to explain the impact fo China's fast modernization and we are seeign it today in the price fo fuel, the amount of concrete that's being consumed by China as it modernizes. A very good book and anyone with a business interest (or in an MBA program) should read this book! China will affect ALL aspects of ALL businesses one day!

The China Fantasy: How Our Leaders Explain Away Chinese Repression

Average customer rating:

An extremely rationalized opinion without substance
A Call To Action
Concise and persuasive
It's okay
Mann Intrigues But Fails To Follow Through

The China Fantasy: How Our Leaders Explain Away Chinese Repression
James Mann
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World

ASIN: 0670038253
Release Date: 2007-02-15

Book Description

From The New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Vulcans, an exploration of Chinese authoritarianism and Western capitalism

In The China Fantasy, bestselling author James Mann examines the evolution of American policy toward China and asks, Does it make sense? What are our ideas and hidden assumptions about China? In this vigorous look at China's political evolution and its future, Mann explores two scenarios popular among the policy elite. The Soothing Scenario contends that the successful spread of capitalism will gradually bring about a development of democratic institutions, free elections, independent judiciary, and a progressive human rights policy. In the Upheaval Scenario, the contradictions in Chinese society between rich and poor, between cities and the countryside, and between the openness of the economy and the unyielding Leninist system will eventually lead to a revolution, chaos, or collapse.

Against this backdrop, Mann poses a third scenario and asks, What will happen if Chinese capitalism continues to evolve and expand but the government fails to liberalize? What then and why should this third scenario matter to Americans? Mann explores this alternate possibility and—in this must-read book for anyone interested in international politics—offers a startling vision of our future with China that will have a profound impact for decades to come.

Customer Reviews:

An extremely rationalized opinion without substance.......2007-06-23

This book begins by stating:

"This is not a book about China itself. It is about the China I have encountered outside of China."

And it delivers just that: after rationalizing "the views of China that prevail in Washington and the other leading capitals of Europe and Asia and in corporate headquarters around the globe" in just 144 pages, we are told that the single most important thing that Western decision-makers should do is push for democracy in China.

Indeed, you get the impression that the author cannot bear for China not to have an American-style democracy for a single day.

Is there anything new in his message? Absolutely not because every American knows that democracy is the most wonderful ideal for mankind.

But should we abandon other forms of engagement with China and simply tell the Chinese leadership, every time we meet them, that they should implement democracy immediately? Absolutely not because it is simply a recipe for disaster not only for the Chinese themselves but also for the world.

Read Roger Osborne's book Civilization: A New History of the Western World, you will understand why "the fundamental western belief that there are rational ways of organising the world which will bring benefit to all has been at the root of every human-made catastrophe that has overtaken us; yet many of us still believe that we have a bounden duty to bring our simplistic, universalizing, 'progressive' systems of government, economics, education, policing, judiciary and morals to every part of every society on the planet. The uncomfortable truth we need to face is that this belief is as dangerous to humanity as military conquest."

So, The China Fantasy is a cheap book offering a cheap message.

To begin to develop a sense of how we might move forward together with China, I recommend Will Hutton's The Writing on the Wall, which will give you a lot of useful background knowledge on both China and America. But above all, it demonstrates why a bilateral approach is so crucial to our policies toward China.

A Call To Action.......2007-05-24

Jim Mann legitimately takes American policymakers to task for a China policy that is in shambles. For a comprehensive review of the many points of conflict, see my own book: The Coming China Wars: Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won

Concise and persuasive.......2007-04-23

"The China Fantasy" by James Mann succeeds in thoroughly debunking the widely-held view that capitalism will inevitably bring democracy to China. Providing a brief historical account of U.S.-Chinese relations from the Nixon administration to the present, Mr. Mann makes clear that business opportunism has driven the agenda at the expense of human rights and democracy in both countries. Mr. Mann's decades of subject matter expertise have prepared him to present a concise and persuasive work on an important topic that should be widely read and discussed by policy makers and concerned citizens alike.

Mr. Mann's specific focus is on the public relations aspect of U.S.-Chinese relations. Mr. Mann contends that a succession of business-friendly politicians have sold the American public on what he calls the 'soothing scenario', or the prospect of a democracy that will somehow emerge as a result of China's deepening economic ties with the West. Mr. Mann explains that this rubric has provided cover for high-ranking U.S. officials who have often used their connections to smooth the way for multinational corporations to set up shop in China in order to exploit its abundant supply of cheap labor. However, Mr. Mann provides a number of counter arguments explaining why the soothing scenario is a highly problematic proposition, with perhaps the most persuasive point being that democracy could allow the masses of destitute Chinese peasants to easily undo the privileges that the relatively small Chinese upper and middle classes have enjoyed under the protection of the single-party system.

Mr. Mann alerts us to the importance of demanding China to enact democratic reforms sooner rather than later, when the Chinese economy might become too strong for outside influence to have any effect. Declining U.S. wages and plant closures caused by increased competition with repressed Chinese labor is but one well-known problem; the Chinese government's support of authoritarian regimes in other countries so that it can propagandize to its domestic audience is a lesser-known but perhaps more serious issue. While one would be hard pressed to detect a political bias in Mr. Mann's writing, the implicit lesson that capitalism can be wholly congruous with governmental repression serves to rebuke free-marketeers such as Thomas Friedman and provides grist for those who may be critical of globalization.

Interestingly, Mr. Mann makes a series of short-range predictions about how the media might frame its coverage of the 2008 Olympic games to be held in China. Mr. Mann believes that on the one hand, superficial news coverage will intend to pacify Western audiences while on the other hand, nationalistic themes will serve to paper over the reality of growing inequality on the Chinese mainland. The author also suspects that China will assuage the West with hints of reform that will probably never materialize while cynically parlaying its moment in the world spotlight to attract renewed rounds of investment.

I highly recommend this timely, insightful and important book to everyone.

It's okay.......2007-04-13

The author makes very persuasive and important points, his argumentation should be considered by anyone concerned about American policy in the 21st century. However, although the book is surprisingly thin, Mann could have made his point even more quickly. The China Fantasy should have been a long essay, not a short book.

Mann Intrigues But Fails To Follow Through.......2007-04-08

The middle-class angst over globalization (which is increasingly percieved to be a losing proposition) that politicians like Senator Jim Webb are riding into office will become a tidal wave if Mann's argument that the Chinese economy could thrive while the authoritarian political system remains largely the same bears out over time. Currently, the American public is not invited to ponder this possibility because between the doom and gloom prophets of Chinese empire or impending collapse and the utopian dreams of businessmen and politicians, no middle ground or "Third Option" can see the light of the day.
Mann manages to sketch out his thesis but fails to explore further, offering only limited detail and leading the average reader to conclusions that need to be debated and studied. Further, in describing the political ploys utilized by the utopian believers of a "just around the corner" Chinese democracy, he performs a great service but fails to follow through by offering much in the range of alternatives to bring the truth to the light of day.
In the end, an intriguing argument that awaits a better book. Best to find used or just read it in the library on a rainy day.

China The Balance Sheet: What the World Needs to Know Now About the Emerging Superpower (Institute International Econom)

Average customer rating:

Little, No Credibility!
China Background
A book for politicians!
Another American type of arrogance
Typical American bias

China The Balance Sheet: What the World Needs to Know Now About the Emerging Superpower (Institute International Econom)
C. Fred Bergsten , Bates Gill , Nicholas R. Lardy , and Derek Mitchell
Manufacturer: PublicAffairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Chinese Lessons: Five Classmates and the Story of the New China

ASIN: 1586484648

Book Description

C. Fred Bergsten, Bates Gill, Nicholas R. Lardy and Derek Mitchell are the principal authors of this investigative analysis, full of new information and perspectives on China, the result of a year-long task force jointly sponsored by CSIS and IIE, to which distinguished China experts have contributed. It is accessible, narrative-driven, filled with facts, but written for the general reader. The expert judgments presented in China: The Balance Sheet will inform policymakers in Washington, scholars and the business community for years to come.

Customer Reviews:

Little, No Credibility!.......2007-01-11

Pg. 4: "China's average wage is one-thirtieth of the U.S. and its average productivity level is equally lower (and wages, in any event account for only 20% of the cost of producing textiles and 5% of the cost of producing semiconductors)." If so, manufacturers that offshore in China would be stupid; alternatively, "China: The Balance Sheet" has a serious credibility problem. I go with the latter.

Nonetheless, this is still some value to the book for its statistics. For example, the authors believe China's foreign exchange reserves reached $1 trillion in '06, far more than any other country's, and probably more than enough to make serious improvement in its pollution and poverty problems. By 2050, China's economy is projected to be the world's largest; foreign investment only accounts for 5% of its capital growth - the Chinese savings rate of about 33% is more than enough to handle China's growth with money left over.

As for social services, "The Balance Sheet" asserts a mid-90's adult literacy rate of about 80% (vs. 50% in India) and graduates 800,000 scientists and engineers/year, while spending only 2.8% of GDP on education. Healthcare accounts for about 6% - far less than the U.S.' 16%.

Only 16% of China's land is arable, and most of its population lives on it. China's leaders are pressured to improve employment to absorb those leaving rural China, as well as those 40% released from state-jobs (including 80% from state-owned manufacturers).

Bergsten et al are most concerned about the possibility of conflict between the U.S. and China re Taiwan, and they point out that China uses its political (U.N. Security Council membership) and economic muscle to "encourage" others to support it re Taiwan.

China Background.......2006-12-19

I haven't read this book but have read several others by Nick Lardy and studied with him at Yale. I disagee with several reviewers who characterize Nick and his colleagues as ignorant about China and are simply imposing a western view. Nick was studying China and the economy (in Chinese) long before it was a popular subject and is intimately familiar with the country's economy. In a country where data is often obscured by politics, he has done an excellent job of piecing together disparate facts to achieve a coherent whole. He may be skeptical, but he's often correct.

A book for politicians!.......2006-11-05

I find this book extremely dull because it is mainly made up of statements. But then I realise that, written by government think tanks, this book is for politicians.

If you are a general reader and want to understand how China is affecting the world, I recommend China Shakes the World or China Inc. And if are interested in the recent history of China (pre-1978), read Wild Swans.

If you are a business person and want to understand how to do business in China, I recommend The China Executive by Dr Wei Wang.

Another American type of arrogance.......2006-10-27

I can't agree with . Shih "M.Smith"'s review even more. I just can't stand the arrogance tone shown in this book. I got a feeling that the authors simply don't like the progress in China. It seems like the authors are simply trying to minimizing the progress China made and relishing the problems China has.

I seriously doubt the authors ever read any Chinese sources or talk to any Chinese scholar. The authors seem to imply that if the Chinese to follow the American way, then they will never succeed. True, China has a tons of problems. But the Chinese leaders and Chinese people are trying their best to solve them. What annoys me is that some of these authors seem to relish over the fact that China has so many problems

You won't get that much new info about China in this book. Yea, China has tons of problems. Who doesn't know. The authors are trying to answer the most complex questions of China with simplistic answers.

Typical American bias.......2006-10-26

Well, what can I say about this book? With a due respect to the authors, it's the same usual American bias toward developing countries. As an American living and working in China for the past 2 years:

1)It's hard for Americans/Westerners to understand how business is done in China? Well, my answer it's because China is NOT in the West and Chinese people are not westerners. Try learning the language first, be respectful, and don't be so obnoxious.
2)This is the same background noise that I hear from overeducated ideologues: If a country is not like the US, then it must be wrong. I guess the Chinese should have a 4th world healthcare system like the US?
3)I personally feel that some authors wish China to stay poor so Madonna can have a concert there and pretend that the rich countries care. Well, maybe Africa, but not China.
4)Just because you watch CNN, FOX, and NBC, it does not make you an expert.
5)Just because you went to an Ivy League school, it does not make you a genius about other countries and cultures. As matter of fact, it does not make you a genius (period)
6)US should comment less on China and worry about the pointless war in Iraq, the death of our soldiers for a pointless cause, broken US healthcare, outsourcing of the American jobs, broken borders, broken education system, children killing each other at schools...and the list goes on.
7)China has many societal problems; please tell me something I don't know. China is working on it, it takes time, and they are not magicians.
8)If China is so awful please don't do business there nor go visit there. For the fact that there are SO many foreign investments there, makes all business executives and companies from the West idiots.

Average customer rating:

How to do the business in China ?
This book is essential to appreciating the Chinese psyche...
authorative and insightful

Doing Business in China
Tim Ambler
Manufacturer: RoutledgeCurzon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China (Wall Street Journal Book)
Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture

ASIN: 0415310156

Book Description

Since China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2002, China is now officially fully open for business and may soon be the biggest economy in the world. No one in, or embarking upon, a managerial career can afford to ignore a market that comprises one-fifth of the world's population. Doing Business in China is essential reading for the manager or firm setting up a business for the first time in this vital and complex market. Aimed specifically at Western and non-Chinese businesses and managers, this book offers a general framework for understanding Chinese business culture along with a guide for acquiring further knowledge on China.
This text is a practical guide to business practices, market conditions, negotiations, organizations, networks and the business environment in China. Alongside summaries of theoretical research, Doing Business in China provides a perceptual toolkit which will enable the businessperson or student to do business in China and apply that knowledge back in the West.
Building on the strengths of the first edition, this new second edition is fully updated to include new case studies as well as discussion of China's entry into the WTO . It is an invaluable resource for students of international business and management, and practitioners alike.

Download Description

This book is a general introduction to managing business ent

Customer Reviews:

How to do the business in China ?.......2002-10-26

Doing business in China!
Relation, Relation And Relation....

If you are using your American or European style to work and even partner with China's firms, you must be failure in the end.

Relationship with the Government and officials are the major concerns when you stepping into the door of China.

Think Global and hire Local Chinese people is the only way to have the final success with your partner in China.

China means: " Always in the historical culture "
So don't think about China with your American Standard !

Try to learn with your local Chinese people (doer)

Anyway, China is opened now and also needed to face the ways for WTO ! Reckon, China can learn from their European and American business partners from today.

This book is essential to appreciating the Chinese psyche..........2001-11-29

Particularly impressive is the author's approach at presenting the Chinese thought process in such a manner that Westerners can not only understand the Chinese psyche, but respect and learn from it as well. This book was perhaps one of the most enlightening books I have read in a while. There is a a concerted effort to show business protocol and potential avenues of entry, but more importantly this book addresses the fundamental social concepts that need to be FULLY understood before attempting to grow in China.

authorative and insightful.......2000-09-04

Of the vast number of books about China, this one is a very useful account of how successfully doing business in China. Western Managers at the forefront in China should read this book which brings together a lifetime of research and practice on China.

Harvard Business Review on Doing Business in China (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series)

Average customer rating:

Must do reading
Typical HBR compilation...
Good but isolated perspectives
A little dated but a good read.

Harvard Business Review on Doing Business in China (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series)
Rick Yan , and Kenneth Libeberthal
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591396387

Book Description

The 50th title in the HBR paperback series highlights what every company must know to successfully enter and compete in the world’s fastest-growing economy

The potential opportunity in China is huge: it is home to a quarter of the world’s population, domestic consumer spending in China is growing by up to 10% a year, and relaxed regulatory restraints have opened China up to unprecedented levels of foreign investment.

This book will help multinational corporations and the managers who work in them understand the implications of China’s current stage of development and develop strategies for effectively competing in this environment.

Customer Reviews:

Must do reading.......2007-02-18

This is a great complitation of HBR articles on China. A must do reading for anyone seriously interested in doing business in China

Typical HBR compilation..........2006-12-27

The articles are, in sum, quite dated and general. Nothing leading edge here as the content is published through the HBS grist mill that greatly enhances the publishing record of their faculty but adds little of current value.

Nevertheless, for the beginner in China, there is some knowledge here, but, again, keep in mind that the business environment in China moves fast and the information here was several years outdated when published.

Good but isolated perspectives.......2006-11-05

Like other HBR articles, the articles in this collection on Doing Business in China are well written and presented, with each examining a particular issue in a fairly coherent way.

However, as they are written by different authors, there is an inevitable lack of cohesion among the articles. For example, in article "Entering China: An Unconventional Approach" (pages 105-121), author Vanhonacker argues that since "Chinese companies...typically have a more immediate interest in profits than foreign investors do," "joint ventures do not offer foreign companies what they need to succeed in China." Yet, in article "Trouble in Paradise" (pages 141-161), authors Xin and Pucik present a case study, where the dilemma faced by the American general manager is such that while his US-based boss wants him to improve the joint venture's profitability from a 4% ROI to a 20% ROI, the Chinese deputy general manager wants to grow the joint venture by acquiring another local Chinese enterprise!

In my experience, the scenarios presented in the two articles are pretty academic because the reality is much more messy than that and hardly rests on such a simple black/white trade-off. Indeed, we now know that the China challenge is multifaceted. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an integrated framework that distills what it takes to succeed in China (how to think as well as what to do) by running a central, balanced theme across all these perspectives.

It is fair to say that although eight useful articles are put together in one volume, this book lacks the above mentioned central theme.

To find such a central theme, you will have to read Dr Wei Wang's The China Executive: Marrying Western and Chinese Strengths to Generate Profitability from Your Investment in China. In it, you will find a road map to business success in 21st-century China.

A little dated but a good read........2006-04-13

Dont be fooled by the 2004 publising date most of the articles inluded here are from the late 90's early 00's. Otherwise a good read and well worth the $14 price tag.

The Coming China Wars: Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won

Average customer rating:

Coming China Wars, a superficial review
Only Enough Material for a Magazine Article!
Excellent Reading
War, War, War, more Wars
A biased book about China

The Coming China Wars: Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won
Peter Navarro
Manufacturer: FT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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China The Balance Sheet: What the World Needs to Know Now About the Emerging Superpower (Institute International Econom)

ASIN: 0132281287

Customer Reviews:

Coming China Wars, a superficial review.......2007-06-27

Peter Navaro's book, The Coming China Wars, is a good read for anyone who has limited knowledge of China. His presentation of the environmental conditions in China are accurate, as are the economic realities of a country with the newfound wealth generated from Western and non-communist Asian countries investment in manufacturing plants that take advantage of lower cost Chinese labor. The discussion of the socio-economic impact of growth and the political implications of the development of a thriving middle class is also interesting.

As an experienced China trader for the last 20 years, I have witnessed the changes in China first hand. The environmental conditions and the way some companies treat people and the way women in particular are treated, in some cases is shameful. In other cases, you see people rise from object poverty to being active participants in the growth of their country. The youth in particular have a future which is certainly brighter than that of their parents. Many companies offer work environments that are comparatively healthy and provide opportunities for professional development and personal financial growth. In many instances, the factories are clean, equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and offer safe, professional environments from which they can live and prosper.

I recommend this book to anyone who is considering doing business in china or is interested in the economic and political impact of China on America and the world.

Only Enough Material for a Magazine Article!.......2007-06-10

China may become a fearsome military power in the future. This book, however, focuses on the near-term potential for conflict in other areas - jobs, wages, technologies, strategic resources, and even environmental health. However, little depth is included and thus the material should have instead been summarized into a magazine article instead of drawn out to book length.

Many Americans are already aware of China's existing power over the U.S. via its massive holdings of U.S. trade deficit dollars (and our reciprocal hold over China's efforts to grow its economy). Navarro also makes us aware of China's U.N. veto power (used to protect oil exports from Iran, Iraq, etc.), potential threat to our food supply through unsafe additives, blatant counterfeiting/intellectual piracy of a wide range of goals, and shipping ballistic missiles to others.

China's primary goal is to create 15 million new jobs/year - enough to absorb new job market entrants and those displaced from its state sectors by modernization and privatization. It already produces over 705 of the world's DVDs and toys, over halve the bicycles, cameras, shoes, phones, etc. - all facilitated by a low-wage, highly disciplined and educated work force, minimal environmental, worker health, safety protections. (In addition, unions are outlawed.) Meanwhile, China still has a reserve army of under- (eg. farmers typically have only 1-2 acres apiece) and unemployed of over 100 million - and growing.

Foreign companies take advantage of this favorable climate, investing $60 billion/year now, and projected to grow soon to $100 billion. (Additional investment resources come from its own profits, a savings rate of around 40%, and government-controlled banks willing to grant loans without prospect of repayment.

On the bad side, China is home to 16 of the 20 most-polluted cities in the world. Electric power generation is the greatest source, though improvements in this area (eg. nuclear power) are likely to be offset by a coming explosion in private vehicles. Another problem is that it is the leading producer of "precursor chemicals" for hard drugs.

Excellent Reading.......2007-06-09

Anyone interested in the global environment and economics will find this book and the data/citations found in it, valuable. Not the type of book that would probably interest an expert in international economies but a very good introduction to a wide range of cause and effect relationships. More importantly, it raises one's awareness of strategic and political approaches being taken by China toward other countries around the globe. I rate the book excellent.

War, War, War, more Wars.......2007-05-26

I couldn't escape the wars cry in America if I try. The war mentality permeates everything we touch, breath, think and talk. Americans love war. This author uses "war" to sell more books.

China just begins to dig itself out of poverty and tries to catch up 100 years progress with decades of time. Communication and globalization makes this a possibility for China, Inida, Russia and Brazil. I see it as natural evolution of a nation and the world. Why declare wars on China for earning a living? China has never invaded Europe, Africa, Middle east or America. In contrast, we have a long history of invading other nations including China.
It is a good thing that US is occupied by Iraq wars for the time being. Iraq war is a gift for world peace. It delays the US bringing on more wars to other nations. We should look at our own conducts, history and society before piling on baseless accusations.

Take the energy issue, China just begins to secure energy resource through business investment. US has secured energy source for many decades through wars and military intervention of other countries. US has hundreds of overseas miliatry bases around the globes to secure its energy source and covertly or overtly overthrow foreign governments. We have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world many times and do not hesitate to nuke other nations when necessary.

China is a country in need of energy, not a country to destroy US or the world. This author finds that to be threatening. We paint China as a human rights violation enabler in Africa because of China's non intervention policy and investment. We forget about our own weapons sale, CIA and miliatry operation and subversive activities throughout Africa. We have orchestrated many regime changes throughout the world for one single purpose; to enrich ourselves.

I find this author interpreation of events in China and point of view about China bias, taken out of context and colored by cultural prejudice. In other words, this book is about us more than about China. We are a war nation, so we see wars in every situation. If not China, it would be something else.

A biased book about China.......2007-05-14

One may wonder why US is not that popular overseas. After reading this book, you may figure out the reason: There is always someone like author there trying to create enemy. 1.3 billion Chinese are trying to make their life better.Without their products and financial support, American won't be living at current standard. However, they are paying the price, suffering environment pollution and other problems, which this book is right on it. But they need help and we should work together to solve these problems rather than declare "War". This book won't help anyone except author, who wrote such contraversial topic to catch reader's eyeball. Maybe those hawks in Washington would like it too.

"The world is flat", I hope author read this book.

The Writing on the Wall: Why We Must Embrace China as a Partner or Face It as an Enemy

Average customer rating:

Left of Center
enjoying this immensely
Brilliant analysis of how the United States should proceed in our relations with China.
Got better as it went on
Extremely challenging book on China.... and the US

The Writing on the Wall: Why We Must Embrace China as a Partner or Face It as an Enemy
Will Hutton
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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China: Fragile Superpower: How China's Internal Politics Could Derail Its Peaceful Rise

ASIN: 0743275284

Book Description

The prevailing view of China is that the country is an economic juggernaut sure to become the dominant power of the twenty-first century. In this provocative and stimulating book critically acclaimed author Will Hutton warns instead that China is running up against a set of daunting challenges from within its own political and economic system that could well derail its rise, leading to a massive shock to the global economy. The United States, he argues, must recognize that it has a vital stake in working to assure this doesn't happen, for if China's political liberalization and economic growth collapse, the United States will suffer crippling consequences.

In today's highly globalized world economy, so much of the economic health of the United States -- our low inflation, high profits, and cheap credit -- rests upon China's economic growth and its massive investment in the United States. A great deal has been said about the economic and military threat China poses. But rather than provoking China with the military hawkishness of recent years and resisting Chinese economic supremacy with the saber rattling of protectionist antitrade policies -- twenty such bills have been introduced in Congress in just the last year -- the United States must build a strong relationship that will foster China's transition from an antiquated Communist state beset with profound problems to a fully modern, enlightened, and open society. Doing so will require understanding and engagement, not enmity and suspicion.

China's current economic model, Hutton explains, is unsustainable, premised as it is on the myriad contradictions and dysfunctions of an authoritarian state attempting to control an economy in its transition to capitalism. If the twenty-first century is to be the China century, the Chinese will have to embrace the features of modern Western nations that have spurred the political stability and economic power of the United States and Europe: the rule of law, an independent judiciary, freedom of the press, and authentic representative government that is accountable to the people. Whether or not China does so rests in large part on how well the United States manages the relationship and persuades the Chinese of the virtues of an open, enlightened democratic system. The danger is that fearmongering will intensify animosities, leading both countries down a path of peril.

Turning conventional wisdom on its head, this brilliantly argued book is vital reading at a crucial juncture in world affairs.

Customer Reviews:

Left of Center.......2007-05-25

This book provides an interesting description of China's many problems and offers a set of policies designed to counter what threatens to be the globe's most pressing set of conflicts. For an alternative view, see my own book The Coming China Wars: Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won

enjoying this immensely.......2007-05-16

So happy this wasn't another paeon to chinese industrial invincibility like china inc. (which was ridiculously glowing bizlit).

I'm not with Hutton on all his assumptions-- such as the sweeping assertion that social mobility is decreasing in the west--huh?-- but he's honest and takes a principled, methodological approach in his analysis i like.

i will search out other hutton titles now!

Brilliant analysis of how the United States should proceed in our relations with China........2007-04-27

I think it is fair to say that the conventional wisdom is that the United States and China are on a collision course. John J. Mearsheimer, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago summarizes this point of view this way; "China and the United States are destined to clash militarily and the United States has an interest to do all it can to forestall China's becoming economically rich enough to challenge it." Author Will Hutton vehemently disagrees with this point of view. In "The Writing On The Wall" Hutton presents a methodical, logical and compelling case for the United States to pursue policies that will only encourage the continued and inevitable modernization of China. Hutton's thoughtful and convincing analysis of the situation certainly turns conventional wisdom on its head.
According to Hutton, the continued mercurial growth of the Chinese economy is simply unsustainable given the current policies being pursued by the Communists who are still in charge in China. There is simply no way that the policies and political environment favored by those who are currently in power in Beijing can mesh with the continued and sustained economic growth that China is seeking. Time and again Hutton points to the nearly total lack of what he terms "soft" infrastructure as the primary reason why current Chinese policy is doomed to failure. This rather monolithic economic system lacks such fundamental cornerstones as a legitmate banking system, a free press and the ability of workers to organize. Add to that the fact that most major industries are still SOE (state owned enterprises) and it is plain to see why the major flaws in the Chinese economy are almost certain to rear their ugly heads in the near future with potentially devasting consequences for us all. And there are a whole host of other systemic problems with the Chinese economy that time does not permit me to list here. Hutton argues vigarously that the United States and the EU should be encouraging the Chinese to move away from those policies that will ultimately hold them back.
I found "The Writing On The Wall" to be a particularly well written and equally well documented book. Will Hutton avoids a lot of technical jargon and presents his case in clear, easy to understand language. Based on my limited knowledge of China prior to reading this book I would have probably come down on the side of Professor Mearsheimer. I thought that conflict with China was a probably a foregone conclusion. But Will Hutton has convinced me of the wisdom of encouraging China to modernize and perhaps even in making some changes in the way we do business ourselves. "The Writing On The Wall" is an extremely thought provoking book and one that I can very highly recommend!

Got better as it went on.......2007-03-03

Reading the introductory first chapter I was worried that Hutton's reputation for careful analysis may have left him, as he appeared to offer an overly simple thesis and an embrace of the United States' system of government that was too uncritcal.

Thankfully that chapter is misleading as Hutton leads his readers through a detailed analysis of China's economy that is equal parts illuminating and disturbing, and begins to build explanation on his desire to see US-style enlightenment institutions develop in China, while being very open about the fact that several of those institutions are in severe decline within the USA.

Some of that coverage of the USA, its history, institutions and current situation, feels like it would have made sense as a separate book, slimming down this volume considerably and potentially making the material much more accessible for those with limited time. But the intertwined themes do make sense and the reader is considerably better placed to judge the material when we have both parts together.

At times there is certainly still a sense that Hutton is calling for a form of cultural imperialism. The merits of the institutions he outlines are clear, but they have grown out of a lengthy philosophical tradition which China does not share and it is vital that any such institutions are contextualised if they are to succeed in China.

Extremely challenging book on China.... and the US.......2007-02-13

I have been reading up a lot on China these days, because of my work primarily, including such books as "Mr. China", "China Shakes the World" and of course "The World is Flat", dealing with China indirectly. These books dealt primarily, if not exclusively, with China's economic transformation, and they are all most worthy of recommendation. And that angle is what I was also expecting from this book. Boy, was I ever wrong!

In "The Writing on the Wall: Why We Must Embrace China as a Partner or Face It as an Enemy" (421 pages), British author Will Hutton does of course also bring the staggering picture of China's recent economic rise. But that is just the beginning of the book. The real meat of this book comes from Hutton's careful evaluation of China's problems and challenges as the ruling Communist (and only) Party tries to walk the fine line between economic growth and yet being a state largely without the institutions of "Enlightenment" that allowed western states to achieve the status they have achieved in the 19th and 20th centuries. Problems abound everywhere, from corruption to disregard for the environment, employees' rights, health insurance, the respect/enforcement of law, and on and on. The author brings a lot of historical and well thought out perspectives on these issues along the way, for example the catch-22 the Chinese government finds itseld currently in on whether or not to revalue the renminbi currency, as most of the world is urging (either way, there are no good results for the Chinese, for reasons the author makes clear... so what is the Chinese government to do?). The latter third part of the book brings an equally challenging look at the US side of things, bringing to the front the currently corroding values of free trade, engagement with the rest of the world, and the values of an accountable government (culminating in an assessment of the Iraq war).

At no point does one get the feeling that the author is saying that China or the US is "wrong" or "right", but the author concludes with an impassionate plea that the solution is not confrontation, but cooperation. This will be easier said than done. The challenges are many. Free trade and bilateral engagement are the answer, so much is clear, but can that be sold to the American public? Not to mention the many, many challenges the Chinese government is facing at home. In all, this is a terrific read from start to finish. Highly recommended!

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