When China Rules The World
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Review
Provocative ... stimulating ... full of bold but credible predictions ... I suspect it will long be remembered for its foresight and insight (Michael Rank Guardian )
This important book, deeply considered, full of historical understanding and realism, is about more than China. It is about a twenty-first-century world no longer modelled on and shaped by North Atlantic power, ideas and assumptions. I suspect it will be highly influential (Eric Hobsbawm ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
This important book, deeply considered, full of historical understanding and realism, is about more than China. It is about a twenty-first-century world no longer modelled on and shaped by North Atlantic power, ideas and assumptions. I suspect it will be highly influential (Eric Hobsbawm ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Product Description
For well over two hundred years we have lived in a western-made world, one where the very notion of being modern is inextricably bound up with being western. The twenty-first century will be different. The rise of China, India and the Asian tigers means that, for the first time, modernity will no longer be exclusively western. The west will be confronted with the fact that its systems, institutions and values are no longer the only ones on offer. The key idea of Martin Jacques's ground-breaking new book is that we are moving into an era of contested modernity.
The central player in this new world will be China. Continental in size and mentality, China is a 'civilisation-state' whose characteristics, attitudes and values long predate its existence as a nation-state. Although clearly influenced by the west, its extraordinary size and history mean that it will remain highly distinct, and as it exercises its rapidly growing power it will change much more than the world's geo-politics. The nation-state as we understand it will no longer be globally dominant, and the Westphalian state-system will be transformed; ideas of race will be redrawn. This profound and far-sighted book explains for the first time the deeper meaning of the rise of China.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential reading for those with a keen interest in China and its current development,
By
This review is from: When China Rules The World: The Rise of the Middle Kingdom and the End of the Western World (Hardcover)
This book comprises an extended and comprehensive overview of the ascendancy of the modern Chinese state and the impact that ascendancy will have for East Asia in particular, and the rest of the world in general - including the West. The discussion focuses attention on eight central themes. First, China is characteristically a civilisation-state rather than a conventional nation-state as defined by the Westphalian system, although it possesses the characteristics of both. Second, China is most likely to conceive of itself, and be recognised by others, as a tributary-state - particularly in East Asia. It will then probably revert to the kind of relationship, with its East Asian periphery, that obtained prior to the end of the nineteenth century. Third, as the twenty-first century matures we will become more clearly aware of the distinctive Chinese attitude to race and ethnicity, which does not harmonise or fit comfortably with current Western concepts and praxis. Fourth, due to its massive land mass, China operates on a vast continental scale: when that is taken into consideration, together with its equally massive population, this fact alone differentiates China from any other nation-state. Fifth, the nature of the Chinese polity is highly distinctive, because the erstwhile imperial dynasty did not desire and was not obliged or required to share power with any other institutions or interest groups. Sixth, Chinese modernity is characterised by the rapidity of the country's economic transformation, and its recently acquired financial importance now has significant global influence. Seventh, since 1949 China has been ruled by a `communist' regime, which has been influenced by a detectable Confucian syncretism. Eighth, China will for the next several decades, probably until the middle of the twenty-first century, combine the characteristics of both a developed and a developing country.
This book is of essential reading for those who take a keen interest in the progressive and rapid development of the Chinese state and its economy, which already has had far reaching consequences, particularly as it progressively displaces the United States of America a the world's hegemonic power: an event that is likely to occur during this century. I can well remember an `amusing' recommendation made during the early years of the Cold War: "Optimists should learn to speak Russian, while pessimists should learn to speak Chinese." It would now appear that the pessimists would have made the right choice, although there are no obvious signs that the Chinese ascendancy will necessarily have a malign effect on the West, or on those nations which embrace the prevailing Western ideology. Stuart E Hopkins
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
`Western hegemony is neither a product of nature nor is it eternal. On the contrary, at some point it will come to an end.',
By J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: When China Rules The World: The Rise of the Middle Kingdom and the End of the Western World (Hardcover)
In this book, Martin Jacques argues that the continued rise of China will result in a different model of world power. Mr Jacques argues that China can achieve economic and political dominance without becoming a Western-style democracy and that, when it does, it will make its own rules.
In Mr Jacques view, China will exemplify an alternative model for development, one which is likely to spell the end of the West's economic, political and cultural dominance. China is growing at a rapid rate, and is having a significant impact on the world economy with its demand for raw materials, its supply of manufactured goods and its role as the world's leading creditor. There are a number of different aspects of this book which make it well worth reading. I was particularly interested in Mr Jacques's views on China's economic strengths and weaknesses. Mr Jacques's discussion of the modernization of Japan was particularly interesting: it provides both a basis for comparison and a likely contrast. I have mixed feelings about this book: I enjoyed reading many of the points made by Mr Jacques, and the facts and figures, tables and graphs chosen to illustrate those points. For me, the major point is not whether (and when) China will `rule the world'. Instead, the discussion should be about the political, economic and cultural shape of a world in which China is the dominant economic power and political entity. Mr Jacques claims that: `In an important sense, China does not aspire to run the world because it already believes itself to be the centre of the world, this being its natural role and position.' This view of the Middle Kingdom rests on thousands of years of history and culture, and on geography and size. This book covers a number of important issues, and also provides a bibliography for those interested in reading more about China. Mr Jacques may not have all of the answers, but he has certainly identified many of the issues. Jennifer Cameron-Smith
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Slightly Repetitive Book,
By
This review is from: When China Rules The World: The Rise of the Middle Kingdom and the End of the Western World (Hardcover)
I read this book because I'm spending much of he next two years working in China, and felt I should have some idea about what the country was like. In this regard, the book is informative. It gives you a potted history of the country, how they see themselves and why they are how they are. If I had actually read this book before I arrived, I would probably have been better prepared for what I experieced here.
The strengths of the book lie in the explanation of the Chinese psychology. Their history and "distinctive beliefs" are explained pretty well here, and help me understand them much better. Should I ever have to deal with the "coming Chinese" when I move back to the UK, I think this book will help me understand them. The weaknesses of the book lie in its' tendency to be slightly repetitive. Certain ideas (like Chinese conviction of their own superiority and their belief in Confucianism for example) get talked about repeatedly (and not just in the sections where they are rightly discussed). The first couple of times they are repeated you might find the idea useful (and allow it to stick in the memory because of that repetition). After that, you'll start thinking that he's mentioned this before and start wanting him to move on. In addition to the weaknesses of the book, their are a couple of other problems that I had with the book's contents. First, I don't think that it will tell anything new to someone who knows a lot about China. Maybe this isn't the aim of the book, but I don't view myself as a Chinese aficionado, and I found myself thinking "Come on I knew that" a fair bit. The other thing is that I found it depressing. I'm proud of being English. The book, however, made me more concerned that the Chinese aren't going to change. Their convictions about their skills and their premier position in the world, has made me more hawkish about China and globalisation. I am now extremely wary of what the Chinese are up to, and I think that probably wasn't the point of the book.
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