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The World According to Xi: Everything You Need to Know About the New China
China is now the most powerful country on earth. Its manufacturing underpins the world's economy; its military is growing at the fastest rate of any nation and its leader - Xi Jinping - is to set the pace and tone of world affairs for decades.
In 2017 Xi Jinping became part of the constitution - an honour not seen since Chairman Mao. Here, China expert Kerry Brown guides us through the world according to his plans to make China the most powerful country on earth and to eradicate poverty for its citizens. In this captivating book we discover Xi's beliefs, how he thinks about communism, and how far he is willing to go to defend it.
In 2017 Xi Jinping became part of the constitution - an honour not seen since Chairman Mao. Here, China expert Kerry Brown guides us through the world according to his plans to make China the most powerful country on earth and to eradicate poverty for its citizens. In this captivating book we discover Xi's beliefs, how he thinks about communism, and how far he is willing to go to defend it.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
20 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
About the author
Kerry Brown
86 books75 followersKerry Brown is an author, columnist, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King's College, London.
*From Kerry's Website.*: Prior to this he was the Professor of Chinese Politcs and Director of the China Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. He led the Europe China Research and Advice Network(ECRAN) funded by the European Union from 2011 to 2014. He is an Associate Fellow on the Asia Programme at Chatham House, London. His main interests are in the politics and society of modern China, in its international relations and its political economy.
Educated at Cambridge (MA), London (Post Graduate Diploma in Chinese with Distinction) and Leeds Universities (Ph D), he worked in Japan and the Inner Mongolian region of China,before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London in 1998. He worked in the China Section and then served as First Secretary, Beijing, from 2000 to 2003, and Head of the Indonesia East Timor Section at the FCO from 2003 to 2005.
Kerry Brown has been published in most major newspapers, commenting on China and Asia, including the New York Times, The Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, the Australian Financial Review, the Australian, the South China Morning Post, and the Financial Times. He has also been interviewed since 2006 by the BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN, Bloomberg, ABC and other outlets. He had undertaken consultancy for Mizuho Bank, BP, Oxford Analytica, Hakluyt, Tesco and other corporates.
*From Kerry's Website.*: Prior to this he was the Professor of Chinese Politcs and Director of the China Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. He led the Europe China Research and Advice Network(ECRAN) funded by the European Union from 2011 to 2014. He is an Associate Fellow on the Asia Programme at Chatham House, London. His main interests are in the politics and society of modern China, in its international relations and its political economy.
Educated at Cambridge (MA), London (Post Graduate Diploma in Chinese with Distinction) and Leeds Universities (Ph D), he worked in Japan and the Inner Mongolian region of China,before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London in 1998. He worked in the China Section and then served as First Secretary, Beijing, from 2000 to 2003, and Head of the Indonesia East Timor Section at the FCO from 2003 to 2005.
Kerry Brown has been published in most major newspapers, commenting on China and Asia, including the New York Times, The Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, the Australian Financial Review, the Australian, the South China Morning Post, and the Financial Times. He has also been interviewed since 2006 by the BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN, Bloomberg, ABC and other outlets. He had undertaken consultancy for Mizuho Bank, BP, Oxford Analytica, Hakluyt, Tesco and other corporates.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 5, 2024
’But now China is mobilised by nationalism, the love of country, the strong identity imputed to it and the feeling by most Chinese that their country is finally winning the battle to modernise, and will soon be restored to its rightful place at the centre of the world’
This term of my history degree I’m taking part in a module on nineteenth to early twentieth century China, and an assignment as part of that module is a book review.
Obviously when this was revealed I sat there giggling and kicking my legs in glee. Little does my professor know that I am in fact an unprofessional book reviewer, and he is a fool.
So yes, this was the book I chose for that review. Why did I choose it? It’s quite simple.
It was the shortest option.
While not a bad book at all - it was well-written with a simple prose, short and concise chapters, and of course was an interesting look at an interesting man - it unfortunately can’t be something I say I definitively enjoyed reading as I had to read it for university. And reading is never fun when you’re being forced to do it within a time constraint. Even so, this was by far the least painful and most enjoyable time I’ve had reading a non-fic book in education, simply because of how consumable it was.
Overall, The World According to Xi gets 3/5 stars, and I really recommend it if you’re looking for a beginners introduction into Xi Jinping’s China :)
This term of my history degree I’m taking part in a module on nineteenth to early twentieth century China, and an assignment as part of that module is a book review.
Obviously when this was revealed I sat there giggling and kicking my legs in glee. Little does my professor know that I am in fact an unprofessional book reviewer, and he is a fool.
So yes, this was the book I chose for that review. Why did I choose it? It’s quite simple.
It was the shortest option.
While not a bad book at all - it was well-written with a simple prose, short and concise chapters, and of course was an interesting look at an interesting man - it unfortunately can’t be something I say I definitively enjoyed reading as I had to read it for university. And reading is never fun when you’re being forced to do it within a time constraint. Even so, this was by far the least painful and most enjoyable time I’ve had reading a non-fic book in education, simply because of how consumable it was.
Overall, The World According to Xi gets 3/5 stars, and I really recommend it if you’re looking for a beginners introduction into Xi Jinping’s China :)
September 16, 2018
veldig bra skrevet og veldig bra oversatt, og forfatteren nevner aldri seg selv!! Har ingen kilder da, og tar kanskje litt for lett på hvor kjipt regimet kan være???
July 2, 2018
Despite being the guiding ideology behind the world’s most powerful economy, Chinese communism (or “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics”) remains an enigmatic and misrepresented force here in the West. Although we vaguely understand that China’s impact on the global order in the 21st century will be enormous, we tend to put it in the same category as the moon and the tides. A distant fact of nature, so huge as to be mostly imperceptible and irrelevant to our daily lives.
Critics of China’s belligerent insistence on maintaining itself as a one party communist state perform the most bizarre mental acrobatics in order to cope with the fact of its existence. Everyone knows that communism is a failed system that collapsed decades ago, incapable of generating and sustaining wealth and modernity. Thus, the Chinese system must simply be a hoax, or a red veneer disguising a fundamentally late capitalist society. Maybe we expect the 88 million members of the Communist Party of China, with its origins in Revolution and a leadership baptised in the fires of Maoism, to simply yell “surprise!”, put on top hats and admit they’ve believed in western capitalism all along.
In this wonderfully concise and accessible book, Kerry Brown gives us a short overview of the global outlook of modern China. For those struggling to draw a line between the enduring images of the Maoist era and our current conception of a superpower which is capitalist in all but name, and then again struggling to understand why such rapid development has produced the neo-authoritarian figure of Xi Jinping, rather than the liberal democratic reforms that were so complacently predicted, this book is an essential crash course.
The book is especially poignant in an era when the western systems which we had assumed China would one day seek to emulate appear to be falling apart. European capitalism is straining under pressure of internal forces which range from progressive separatism to barely disguised fascism. The American empire also appears to be collapsing under its own weight, unable and unwilling to sustain its oversized presence in the world and turning to deeply disturbing political obsessions at home.
Kerry Brown’s analyses of the implications of Xi Jinping Thought (a body of political theory recently added to the Chinese constitution in the tradition of Mao Tse Tung Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory) is engaging but professionally dispassionate. The book neither advocates nor criticises Chinese governance, offering a digestible explanation of the current reality and allowing the reader to make their own moral and political judgements.
Although The World According To Xi is plainly intended as a short primer, there were many areas I felt could still have been discussed in greater depth. Brown confines himself to describing China’s huge economy as “complicated”, but we might have benefited from some illustrative examples demonstrating how the relationship between the state, private business and workers actually functions. Although we learn a fair bit about the wider political context in which Xi Jinping exists, we’re no clearer on what party political mechanisms are actually at work. Brown talks a lot about China’s variously hot and cold relationship with Marxism-Leninism, but assumes a great deal of knowledge on behalf of the reader in terms of what Marxism-Leninism actually is. We also get a broad look at how China views itself and its own ascension to superpower status, and some discussion of how this may relate with existing global systems, but we get almost nothing on China’s relationship with its communist neighbours – Vietnam, Laos and North Korea.
The World According To Xi is a fantastic report on the current outlooks and attitudes of the People’s Republic of China under Xi Jinping. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their knowledge of the subject quickly. For those not especially interested in the nuts and bolts of China’s political economy, this book will provide more than enough information to satisfy. However, if you’re looking for a comprehensive answer to the question of what the PRC really is, it barely scratches the surface.
Critics of China’s belligerent insistence on maintaining itself as a one party communist state perform the most bizarre mental acrobatics in order to cope with the fact of its existence. Everyone knows that communism is a failed system that collapsed decades ago, incapable of generating and sustaining wealth and modernity. Thus, the Chinese system must simply be a hoax, or a red veneer disguising a fundamentally late capitalist society. Maybe we expect the 88 million members of the Communist Party of China, with its origins in Revolution and a leadership baptised in the fires of Maoism, to simply yell “surprise!”, put on top hats and admit they’ve believed in western capitalism all along.
In this wonderfully concise and accessible book, Kerry Brown gives us a short overview of the global outlook of modern China. For those struggling to draw a line between the enduring images of the Maoist era and our current conception of a superpower which is capitalist in all but name, and then again struggling to understand why such rapid development has produced the neo-authoritarian figure of Xi Jinping, rather than the liberal democratic reforms that were so complacently predicted, this book is an essential crash course.
The book is especially poignant in an era when the western systems which we had assumed China would one day seek to emulate appear to be falling apart. European capitalism is straining under pressure of internal forces which range from progressive separatism to barely disguised fascism. The American empire also appears to be collapsing under its own weight, unable and unwilling to sustain its oversized presence in the world and turning to deeply disturbing political obsessions at home.
Kerry Brown’s analyses of the implications of Xi Jinping Thought (a body of political theory recently added to the Chinese constitution in the tradition of Mao Tse Tung Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory) is engaging but professionally dispassionate. The book neither advocates nor criticises Chinese governance, offering a digestible explanation of the current reality and allowing the reader to make their own moral and political judgements.
Although The World According To Xi is plainly intended as a short primer, there were many areas I felt could still have been discussed in greater depth. Brown confines himself to describing China’s huge economy as “complicated”, but we might have benefited from some illustrative examples demonstrating how the relationship between the state, private business and workers actually functions. Although we learn a fair bit about the wider political context in which Xi Jinping exists, we’re no clearer on what party political mechanisms are actually at work. Brown talks a lot about China’s variously hot and cold relationship with Marxism-Leninism, but assumes a great deal of knowledge on behalf of the reader in terms of what Marxism-Leninism actually is. We also get a broad look at how China views itself and its own ascension to superpower status, and some discussion of how this may relate with existing global systems, but we get almost nothing on China’s relationship with its communist neighbours – Vietnam, Laos and North Korea.
The World According To Xi is a fantastic report on the current outlooks and attitudes of the People’s Republic of China under Xi Jinping. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their knowledge of the subject quickly. For those not especially interested in the nuts and bolts of China’s political economy, this book will provide more than enough information to satisfy. However, if you’re looking for a comprehensive answer to the question of what the PRC really is, it barely scratches the surface.
May 23, 2024
Bit of a drag but interesting.
Says a lot and then concludes very little.
Just maintaining status quo
China is very complicated. Yeah really? Cheers
Tim David - played for Singapore. Close enough
Says a lot and then concludes very little.
Just maintaining status quo
China is very complicated. Yeah really? Cheers
Tim David - played for Singapore. Close enough
August 22, 2018
Kerry Brown hat seine kurze Biografie des chinesischen Staatschefs Xi Jinping punktgenau zum 19. Parteitag im Oktober 2017 herausgebracht und musste sie im Anschluss gleich ergänzen um die Information, dass dort Xi der Stolperstein einer Amtszeitbegrenzung aus dem Weg geräumt wurde. „Alles, was man über das neue China wissen muss“, kann Brown auf knapp 150 Seiten natürlich nicht vermitteln, was man von der Person Xi erwarten kann, dagegen schon. Brown geht der Frage nach, was Xi zurzeit zum mächtigsten Mann macht, was ihn von Mao und Xis Vorgängern Jiang und Hu unterscheidet und was Chinas wachsende Mittelklasse von ihrem Präsidenten zu erwarten hat. Brown charakterisiert Xi als ausgesprochenen Glückspilz, der in seiner Jugend nichts falsch machte und dessen Karriere es selbst nicht schadete, dass sein Vater Verbündeter Maos war. Xis Abordnung zur Landarbeit erwies sich sogar als Bonus. Sein Amt wird ihm heute von den Bürgern gegönnt, weil leidvolle Zeiten in seiner Jugend eine emotionale Bindung zu ihm schaffen und weil er es auf einem entbehrungsreichen Weg erarbeitet hatl. Ein höchst interessanter Abschnitt in Xis Biografie ist seine Zeit als Gouverneur der Provinz Fujian, als er bereits Ehrgeiz und strategisches Denken zeigen konnte. Beim Thema Fujian hätte ich erwartet, dass Brown als China-Experte wenigstens kurz Xis Netzwerk analysiert aus jener Zeit, in welchen Branchen seine Kontakte heute Einfluss haben und in welche Staaten deren Familien Wurzeln durch Auswanderung ausgestreckt haben. Diese „guanxi“ wären ein einleuchtendes Beispiel gewesen, wie das Land funktioniert.
Um das moderne China zu verstehen sind neben der o.g. Frage, wo eine Person herkommt, das Anerkennungsbedürfnis des Landes wichtig, das aus der nie verwundenen Schmach resultiert, sich von anderen Ländern schlecht behandelt zu fühlen. Der Autor listet jene Themen auf, an denen sich erst noch zeigen muss, ob Xi tatsächlich die Macherqualitäten zeigen wird, die von einem ehemaligen Gouverneur zu erwarten sind: Die Spannungen zwischen Staat und Markt lösen, Eindämmung der Korruption, Umwelt und Gesundheit, Überalterung, der anspruchsvollen Mittelschicht Sicherheit für ihre Vermögenswerte schaffen, Rechtssicherheit für ausländische Investoren, der Stadt-Land-Konflikt und die dringende Reform des Rechtssystems. Laut Brown zeigt Xis Rede auf dem zitierten Parteitag bisher erst die Traumwelt eines Landes, das die gesetzten Ziele noch nicht erreicht hat.
Das Layout des Buches macht beim Lesen keine Freude, hervorgehobene Daten und biografische Eckpunkte hätten das Lesen erleichtert. Dass ein Autor mit Browns Veröffentlichungshistorie außer der Fundstelle des Redetextes auf nur zwei Veröffentlichungen verweist (eine davon stammt von ihm) und keine Quellen angibt, finde ich etwas dünn.
Browns Ansatz, das China der Gegenwart aus dem Lebenslauf und der Persönlichkeit seines Präsidenten zu erklären, hat mich überzeugt, er hätte dabei gern stärker in die Tiefe gehen können.
Der Autor
Kerry Brown beendete sein erstes Studium 1989, war u. a. Botschaftssekretär an der Britischen Botschaft in Beijing und lehrte an der Universität von Sydney. Er ist Professor für China-Studien am Kings College London; Mitherausgeber des Journal of Current Chinese Affairs (dem Nachfolger von China aktuell) am GIGA Institut für Asien Studien in Hamburg und hat zahlreiche weitere Posten zum Thema China inne.
Um das moderne China zu verstehen sind neben der o.g. Frage, wo eine Person herkommt, das Anerkennungsbedürfnis des Landes wichtig, das aus der nie verwundenen Schmach resultiert, sich von anderen Ländern schlecht behandelt zu fühlen. Der Autor listet jene Themen auf, an denen sich erst noch zeigen muss, ob Xi tatsächlich die Macherqualitäten zeigen wird, die von einem ehemaligen Gouverneur zu erwarten sind: Die Spannungen zwischen Staat und Markt lösen, Eindämmung der Korruption, Umwelt und Gesundheit, Überalterung, der anspruchsvollen Mittelschicht Sicherheit für ihre Vermögenswerte schaffen, Rechtssicherheit für ausländische Investoren, der Stadt-Land-Konflikt und die dringende Reform des Rechtssystems. Laut Brown zeigt Xis Rede auf dem zitierten Parteitag bisher erst die Traumwelt eines Landes, das die gesetzten Ziele noch nicht erreicht hat.
Das Layout des Buches macht beim Lesen keine Freude, hervorgehobene Daten und biografische Eckpunkte hätten das Lesen erleichtert. Dass ein Autor mit Browns Veröffentlichungshistorie außer der Fundstelle des Redetextes auf nur zwei Veröffentlichungen verweist (eine davon stammt von ihm) und keine Quellen angibt, finde ich etwas dünn.
Browns Ansatz, das China der Gegenwart aus dem Lebenslauf und der Persönlichkeit seines Präsidenten zu erklären, hat mich überzeugt, er hätte dabei gern stärker in die Tiefe gehen können.
Der Autor
Kerry Brown beendete sein erstes Studium 1989, war u. a. Botschaftssekretär an der Britischen Botschaft in Beijing und lehrte an der Universität von Sydney. Er ist Professor für China-Studien am Kings College London; Mitherausgeber des Journal of Current Chinese Affairs (dem Nachfolger von China aktuell) am GIGA Institut für Asien Studien in Hamburg und hat zahlreiche weitere Posten zum Thema China inne.
June 14, 2025
Yeah, it’s despite the ridiculous title (at least it’s expertly researched) an OK summary and I do have it in my library, from 2018.
Category: China studies
Category: China studies
June 18, 2022
The world according to Xi is a primer on the China of Xi Jinping, leader of the Chinese communist party since 2012. It introduces the reader to the thinking of the communist party giving an insight into how and why it operates. But it is a shallow look across a big topic.
One of the problems with books on current affairs is they age rapidly. This book only came out four years ago, in 2018, but unfortunately it is already out of date. I can’t really blame Brown for not foreseeing the pandemic, and that does change things. One of the points Brown makes is that Xi had, at the time of writing, not faced a big international crisis (p.133). He has now, did he pass or fail? China came through quite well, but initially acted very slowly and missed the potential opportunity to avoid the pandemic. But that is not really where I think this book has dated; what about the third term for Xi? The possibility is hinted at (p.109) but the implications of this are not discussed. It feels like quite a hole.
It also feels almost like a hagiography. Xi can do no wrong in this book. Perhaps that can be forgiven in a book that says it is according to Xi in the title – and in which much is taken as ‘Xi’s views’ rather than mediated by the author. But if that is the case then it strips out much of the possibility for analysis or critical thinking. Thus, for example it is claimed that the anti-corruption campaign is not about accruing power to XI (p.67), but if it is unintended it certainly seemed to be a significant side effect.
There is a chapter on Xi and global china but despite this the book almost completely ignores many of the most controversial aspects of China today; Taiwanese independence and south china sea claims are practically unmentioned (p.82) getting a passing mention in sentences. The military and power projection gets a little more (pp.83-4). Human Rights too get very little look in (pp.104-5).
Perhaps I read it with too much of a western standpoint. The positive side is that the book does give a window on the thinking of the communist party – and I think it might have been better set as a book that does focus on the CCP’s views rather than just Xi. We get lots of information on Xi Jinping thought, including some of the vision of what China will look like in 2050 which includes such things as “China will be prosperous and democratic, with Chinese characteristics” (p.125) which I presume means not democratic in any way I would think of it. That could have engendered a discussion on what a Chinese democracy acceptable to the CCP might look like. But it does not. And as mentioned earlier (p.57) reform has actually been going backward not forwards, so why give Xi a pass when he says he wants to see democracy in 2050?
All in all, I think this could have been a good book, if it had taken a more critical course, and been longer to explore the topics brought up in depth. This could have allowed it to be a more long-lived book. But as it is I am not too sure how worthwhile it is – at least it took very little time to read!
One of the problems with books on current affairs is they age rapidly. This book only came out four years ago, in 2018, but unfortunately it is already out of date. I can’t really blame Brown for not foreseeing the pandemic, and that does change things. One of the points Brown makes is that Xi had, at the time of writing, not faced a big international crisis (p.133). He has now, did he pass or fail? China came through quite well, but initially acted very slowly and missed the potential opportunity to avoid the pandemic. But that is not really where I think this book has dated; what about the third term for Xi? The possibility is hinted at (p.109) but the implications of this are not discussed. It feels like quite a hole.
It also feels almost like a hagiography. Xi can do no wrong in this book. Perhaps that can be forgiven in a book that says it is according to Xi in the title – and in which much is taken as ‘Xi’s views’ rather than mediated by the author. But if that is the case then it strips out much of the possibility for analysis or critical thinking. Thus, for example it is claimed that the anti-corruption campaign is not about accruing power to XI (p.67), but if it is unintended it certainly seemed to be a significant side effect.
There is a chapter on Xi and global china but despite this the book almost completely ignores many of the most controversial aspects of China today; Taiwanese independence and south china sea claims are practically unmentioned (p.82) getting a passing mention in sentences. The military and power projection gets a little more (pp.83-4). Human Rights too get very little look in (pp.104-5).
Perhaps I read it with too much of a western standpoint. The positive side is that the book does give a window on the thinking of the communist party – and I think it might have been better set as a book that does focus on the CCP’s views rather than just Xi. We get lots of information on Xi Jinping thought, including some of the vision of what China will look like in 2050 which includes such things as “China will be prosperous and democratic, with Chinese characteristics” (p.125) which I presume means not democratic in any way I would think of it. That could have engendered a discussion on what a Chinese democracy acceptable to the CCP might look like. But it does not. And as mentioned earlier (p.57) reform has actually been going backward not forwards, so why give Xi a pass when he says he wants to see democracy in 2050?
All in all, I think this could have been a good book, if it had taken a more critical course, and been longer to explore the topics brought up in depth. This could have allowed it to be a more long-lived book. But as it is I am not too sure how worthwhile it is – at least it took very little time to read!
June 23, 2019
Dieses Buch ist keine Biografie des Xi Jinping. Vielmehr versucht es im Kontext Jinping Chinas Politik zu erklären. Ein Großteil des Buchs handelt deshalb über das Einparteinsystem und die Rolle Jinpings darin. Teile des Buchs sind sehr wissenschaftlich formuliert. Trotzdem ist es anschaulich, ordnet die Entwicklung Chinas ein und versucht dem Leser klar zu machen, wie die chinesische Führung tickt. Über das Land an sich erfährt man nicht viel. Insgesamt ist der Autor sehr pro Jinping.
July 5, 2022
Brown has written a blend of a biography and a political analysis of the Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Xi's father was an official under Chairman Mao, the man who built Communism in China. During the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, Xi's father fell out of grace with Mao and was imprisoned. Xi, himself, was sent to the western hinterlands to work on a farm. He lived for a while in a cave. After the Cultural Revolution, Xi studied engineering and politics in Beijing. He became a diplomat, working ten years in the coastal city of Fuzhou. When Hu Jintao's leadership of the nation ended in 2013, Xi took over the helm. He has stressed a renewal of Communist principles, the elimination of government corruption and nationalism. Xi implemented the Belt and Road Initiative, which involved Chinese investment in Third World countries in Africa and Latin America. Xi Jinping Thought is a combination of Maoist Thought and Deng Xiaoping Thought. Deng is credited with opening up the economy to market forces after Mao's death in 1976. Furthermore, Xi wants to eliminate poverty in China, which is primarily rural. Brown displays in depth knowledge of China's affairs and history. This book is not hagiography, but rather an objective look at a complex man.
February 15, 2021
Incredibly informative read about the guy himself, as well as his program, party, and country's place in the world. Easy to read and very even handed. Good fleshing out of the current(-ish, written in 2017) moment in its historical context without meandering into too long-winded or unnecessary explanations of (e.g.) the Cultural Revolution or Dengist reformism.
It's crazy how few English language writers/commentators exist in the middle ground between just blindly taking Xi Jinping and the CCP at his/their word, and insane anti-China hysterics (this is a system that has lifted 850 million people out of extreme poverty in the last 40 years after all). I include the BBC in this, as well as writers for many nominally liberal or "left wing" institutions. Probably helps that the writer lives in China I guess.
Only around 140 pages as well, so good contender for "if you're only going to read one book on the subject".
It's crazy how few English language writers/commentators exist in the middle ground between just blindly taking Xi Jinping and the CCP at his/their word, and insane anti-China hysterics (this is a system that has lifted 850 million people out of extreme poverty in the last 40 years after all). I include the BBC in this, as well as writers for many nominally liberal or "left wing" institutions. Probably helps that the writer lives in China I guess.
Only around 140 pages as well, so good contender for "if you're only going to read one book on the subject".
September 11, 2020
A short background of Xi Jinping and some of the aims of Xi Jinping's policies. Xi Jinping has steered government policies to further entrench the communist party's role in China's society, and has a need to continue raising the living standards of China's new middle-class.
The massive events of 2020 mean that the book has now become dated. Kerry Brown writes (in late 2017) that the world doesn't know how Xi Jinping will behave in a crises. The worldwide effects of the Coronavirus, Xi's abandonment of Hong Kong's 'one party, two systems' policy, and diplomatic conflicts with several countries means the world is now seeing the type of leader Xi Jinping is, which is not something we didn't know when this book was published.
The massive events of 2020 mean that the book has now become dated. Kerry Brown writes (in late 2017) that the world doesn't know how Xi Jinping will behave in a crises. The worldwide effects of the Coronavirus, Xi's abandonment of Hong Kong's 'one party, two systems' policy, and diplomatic conflicts with several countries means the world is now seeing the type of leader Xi Jinping is, which is not something we didn't know when this book was published.
March 20, 2019
This is by far the best primer for understanding the basics of Xi Jinping and his means to adapt the Chinese Communist Party to his ambitions for the Chinese nation. It reads without bias or the common ‘threat’ narrative present in most western literature about contemporary China.
I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to delve into the intricacies of China’s political path or anyone seeking to understand the thought process of the political leader that will define the coming decades of international relations.
I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to delve into the intricacies of China’s political path or anyone seeking to understand the thought process of the political leader that will define the coming decades of international relations.
June 19, 2022
This book is a great introduction to Xi and China's politics for someone who has no prior knowledge on the topic. It puts today's China and Xi Jinping into the context of the country's history and its political environment. Within only a hundred pages, the author could not possibly have done more. But for someone looking for a more in-depth analysis of China's (geo)politics, such an overview would certainly not suffice.
September 20, 2024
Well I learned very little if anything about Xi to be honest. The author hinted at knowing some things about him but didn't really elaborate. Much of it was commentary about Xi and CCP policies in general and how the west views them. But I got like no actual concept of Xi, who he is, where he is coming from, how he interacts with people. Just that he is chair of so and so committees, and has said so and so during some public speech. Not really insightful.
November 25, 2025
This book reads more like a series of essays or columns, that also suggest that the reader already has substantial knowledge of Chinese politics and history. The answer of what is Xi’s Thought is discussed, but not answered. It’s a product of its predecessors, but a unique set driven by economic growth, but a further explanation isn’t really provided. Could’ve been better explained in a more clear way.
January 17, 2025
Informative, short and easy to read about Xi Jinping, and which direction he and the Chinese Communist Party steer China (but the book was published in 2018 so a follow-up book would’ve been nice).
If you are worried about Xi being a loose cannon on deck, this is a good book to read to calm your nerves and get a glimpse of how the Chinese leadership lenses perceive the world.
If you are worried about Xi being a loose cannon on deck, this is a good book to read to calm your nerves and get a glimpse of how the Chinese leadership lenses perceive the world.
December 22, 2020
It ls sad to see an interesting book being ruined by bad translation and structure. It is hard to give a honest review based on this poorly structured book. Also it looks like the author tries to put the most info possible in the fewest amount of pages.
July 12, 2021
Good overview of Xi and how he fits into and is continuing/molding the CCP's narrative. In many ways, Xi is story-teller-in-chief. Important note: Brown's book covers the story through 2017. It would be fascinating to read how his views have changed today.
April 20, 2022
Clear and easy to read. Doesn't fall into over dramatization. Helps contextualize the development of China in the past decade, including the strong pandemic response. Would benefit from a "Who's who" photo gallery in the book.
April 3, 2024
I read in the summer. Frustratingly I have forgotten other books from around then, and just remembered this one. It was too insubstantial although provided context for me; I don't know anything about China.
May 16, 2020
Interesting quick read about Xi and the new China. Good choice if you need a small China update on the developments the past years, and ideas about what is to come.
August 1, 2020
Intressant bok, men svårt att avgöra sanningshalt då jag själv inte är helt påläst. Behövde gå tillbaka till gammal kurslitteratur i kinesisk historia flera gånger för att ta till mig allt.
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December 22, 2020Gives a good, brief insight into Xi Jinping's China.
February 25, 2021
Some nice background info
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2022
Having never studied Chinese history, Brown makes this a very accessible, and objective, read. Interesting and important.
November 22, 2023
Short but comprehensive book that helps understanding the chinese perspective on the global politics.
December 29, 2024
A quick and nicely written book, although not very thought-provoking. This book is especially of interest to those without much prior knowledge on China.
This book covers several topics. Among others, it provides information on Xi’s past and his way of thinking, Chinese society and politics, as well as China’s drive to reassert itself as a major global power (as Kerry Brown explains, this is often done in an awkward fashion).
I would have enjoyed a deeper analysis of the topics touched upon in this book. Often I felt only the surface was being scratched.
This book covers several topics. Among others, it provides information on Xi’s past and his way of thinking, Chinese society and politics, as well as China’s drive to reassert itself as a major global power (as Kerry Brown explains, this is often done in an awkward fashion).
I would have enjoyed a deeper analysis of the topics touched upon in this book. Often I felt only the surface was being scratched.
August 15, 2019
Kerry definitely has done a great study and thesis on the subject and sounds very detailed in his description about the history-affairs of China and political system.
He has written in a nice way to compare the historic political stands against today’s values.
He has gone into minute details about the principles outlined during 1990s and during XIs period.
Book also revolves a lot around XIs rise to power as well as XIs way of running the party - which basically covers his way of thinking and approach towards political system.
I was thinking or expecting to have more details about XIs actions after his power to throne. Also any major reforms with real life events and how did they turn out success or failures.
In brief the book is quite full of knowledge about XIs reforms, his ideology and also the history of China from predecessors like dang, Mao and etc
Happy reading ! Definitely worth reading if you like politics, China politics also eager to learn about Chinese political history.
He has written in a nice way to compare the historic political stands against today’s values.
He has gone into minute details about the principles outlined during 1990s and during XIs period.
Book also revolves a lot around XIs rise to power as well as XIs way of running the party - which basically covers his way of thinking and approach towards political system.
I was thinking or expecting to have more details about XIs actions after his power to throne. Also any major reforms with real life events and how did they turn out success or failures.
In brief the book is quite full of knowledge about XIs reforms, his ideology and also the history of China from predecessors like dang, Mao and etc
Happy reading ! Definitely worth reading if you like politics, China politics also eager to learn about Chinese political history.
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