When China Rules the World

Starred review from August 31, 2009
A convincing economic, political and cultural analysis of waning Western dominance and the rise of China and a new paradigm of modernity. Jacques (The Politics of Thatcherism
) takes the pulse of the nation poised to become, by virtue of its scale and staggering rate of growth, the biggest market in the world. Jacques points to the decline of American hegemony and outlines specific elements of China's rising global power and how these are likely to influence international relations in the future. He imagines a world where China's distinct brand of modernity, rooted firmly in its ancient culture and traditions, will have a profound influence on attitudes toward work, family and even politics that will become a counterbalance to and eventually reverse the one-way flow of Westernization. He suggests that while China's economic prosperity may not necessarily translate into democracy, China's increased self-confidence is allowing it to project its political and cultural identity ever more widely as time goes on. As comprehensive as it is compelling, this brilliant book is crucial reading for anyone interested in understanding where the we are and where we are going.

September 1, 2009
British scholar and Guardian columnist Jacques (co-editor: New Times, 1989, etc.) delivers a clear-eyed look at how China's recent modernization will leapfrog Western"superiority."

For millennia China existed in a state of"splendid isolation," while the West, namely Britain, adapting many Chinese inventions, embarked on the Industrial Revolution funded by coal reserves and colonial contributions. Although China had the wherewithal for modernization, the author asserts, it lacked adequate sustainable resources, which Europe derived from the slave trade and colonization. However, China's recent transformation, in a relatively short time,"has been more home-grown than Western import." Jacques walks the reader through the early establishment of an authoritative, rigidly hierarchical system in China, from emperor to warlord to Mao, encompassing an emphasis on education, family structure, a central bureaucracy and maintaining harmony. He writes that China is not just a nation-state, but a"civilization-state," and is only halfway through its economic takeoff, and not yet prepared to implement a multiparty democratic system. Many will argue that China recognizes it doesn't really need democracy, which would serve as a"distraction from the main task of sustaining the country's economic growth." Jacques discusses at length issues of racism, culture and language, and he examines China's likely future impact on other emerging economic powers like Africa, Iran and the Middle East, Russia, India and South Asia. So what will Chinese global hegemony look like? Not at all like the West.

Cultural differences do matter, and Jacques ably demonstrates that China's process of modernization derives from its own"native sources of dynamism."

(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2009
Jacques (visiting research fellow, Asia Research Ctr., London Sch. of Economics) writes that "we stand on the eve of a different kind of world, but comprehending it is difficult." Providing both an overview of Chinese history and culture and an analysis of issues from colonialism and American imperialism to globalization and the financial crisis, this extensively researched work attempts to comprehend China's future role. Jacques takes the unusual approach of describing China as a "civilization-state" and argues that its rise will challenge the international status quo in ways not addressed by those who judge progress in terms of Westernization. VERDICT Jacques raises a multitude of thought-provoking questions about China's future role on the world stage. While he provides enough political, cultural, and historical context that even casual readers will be able to engage with his thesis regarding the hypothetical future of a globally dominant China, given its density and scholarly nature this book will be most appealing to readers who already have some understanding of the debate over China's global role and are interested in another perspective.Madeline Mundt, Univ. of Nevada Lib., Reno

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2009
A British journalist with experience reporting from China and Japan, Jacques explores the increasing influence of a strengthening China on international relations. Citing economic statistics in abundance, Jacques depicts Chinas booming economy in relative ascendance over those of Europe, Japan, and the U.S. The author argues, however, that Chinas civilization rather than its GDP will be the crucial impact on the international system, which he sees as Western-created, U.S.-dominated, andgiven Jacques certainty that the U.S. is a declining powerdestined to be modified by China. Essentially, Jacques refutes that Western theories of modernization and democratization apply to China and predicts a Chinese style of modernity characterized by a revival of a Chinese historical sense of civilizational superiority. Delivering a tour dhorizon of Chinas relations with foreign countries, Jacques envisions their future development as comparable to a comeback of imperial Chinas tributary system. Jacques views will be discussion starters for trend-spotting students of the world scene.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)