Beijing Rules
On sale
3rd August 2023
Price: £25
LONGLISTED FOR FINANCIAL TIMES AND SCHRODERS BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
A FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR
‘Excellent . . . reveals an insidious matrix of spying, deception, censorship and repression . . . compelling’ Daily Telegraph
‘A timely read . . . Chilling . . . Startling . . . A powerful case for more coordinated western intervention’ Guardian
‘Brilliant’ Irish Sunday Independent
The remarkable story of China’s two-decade quest for global dominance.
For several decades China’s ascendancy has been supported by an astonishingly broad and deep portfolio of quiet coercion. Stories of the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian reach are breathtaking – the gagging of sports stars and huge Western brands; Hollywood self-censorship; infrastructure deals in exchange for political loyalty in multilateral organizations; and of course – communications firms. But these are just the most visible examples.
Beijing Rules exposes the armoury of strategies with which China has exploited Western weakness to position itself as leader in the game of nations: tying market access to political acquiescence; punitive tariffs; online disinformation operations; use of private companies to spy on global users; leveraging vaccines for geopolitical gain; and the crushing of democracy in Hong Kong. With these weapons and dextrous manoeuvrings during the global pandemic, China positioned itself to take its place at the apex of world powers.
Bethany Allen, an internationally recognized investigator into China’s covert power, shows Western institutions have bowed to and even enabled Beijing’s coercion. As we come reeling out of a global pandemic and eyes are on a new war in Europe, this revealing analysis sounds the alarm about the most significant shift in the new world order, and what we must do to prevent the loss of freedoms we take for granted.
A FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR
‘Excellent . . . reveals an insidious matrix of spying, deception, censorship and repression . . . compelling’ Daily Telegraph
‘A timely read . . . Chilling . . . Startling . . . A powerful case for more coordinated western intervention’ Guardian
‘Brilliant’ Irish Sunday Independent
The remarkable story of China’s two-decade quest for global dominance.
For several decades China’s ascendancy has been supported by an astonishingly broad and deep portfolio of quiet coercion. Stories of the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian reach are breathtaking – the gagging of sports stars and huge Western brands; Hollywood self-censorship; infrastructure deals in exchange for political loyalty in multilateral organizations; and of course – communications firms. But these are just the most visible examples.
Beijing Rules exposes the armoury of strategies with which China has exploited Western weakness to position itself as leader in the game of nations: tying market access to political acquiescence; punitive tariffs; online disinformation operations; use of private companies to spy on global users; leveraging vaccines for geopolitical gain; and the crushing of democracy in Hong Kong. With these weapons and dextrous manoeuvrings during the global pandemic, China positioned itself to take its place at the apex of world powers.
Bethany Allen, an internationally recognized investigator into China’s covert power, shows Western institutions have bowed to and even enabled Beijing’s coercion. As we come reeling out of a global pandemic and eyes are on a new war in Europe, this revealing analysis sounds the alarm about the most significant shift in the new world order, and what we must do to prevent the loss of freedoms we take for granted.
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Reviews
Allen has shown remarkable courage in writing this . . . A disturbing, insightful book about China's hidden, multitiered war - and how the West can fight back
If you want to understand how China has grown its influence around the world and why that matters, try Beijing Rules. Allen's smart and deeply reported work poses important questions - and answers many of them too. A must-read!
A revealing, timely, and necessary study of how China uses economic coercion to achieve its geopolitical ends - and how the US and other democracies can fight back
Allen is one of the world's most trusted experts on one of the world's most consequential stories - China's conversion of economic power to hard power. A saga you must understand, from a journalist who takes you there
Excellent . . . reveals an insidious matrix of spying, deception, censorship and repression . . . compelling
A timely read . . . Chilling . . . Startling . . . A powerful case for more coordinated western intervention
A full picture of the myriad challenges confronting democratic governments in tackling China
An eye-opening chronicle of the multiple ways in which China's Communist party seeks to exert its power abroad
Allen's page-turner shows how the CCP has taken its unrivalled success in imposing its power on the Chinese people at home and turned that towards the rest of the world. Allen details meticulously how the Party is stepping up its influence globally . . . For anyone interested in understanding this century-defining phenomenon, Allen's book is a must read
Written with the clarity and authority that reflects Allen's exceptional career producing scoop after scoop on China's international activities, Beijing Rules is the one book on China you need to read this year