China's Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology are Reshaping China's Rise and the World's Future

by Scott M. Moore

From solar panels to synthetic biology, an accessible-yet-authoritative overview of how climate change, the global Covid-19 pandemic, and emerging technologies are changing China's relationship with the world, and what it means for governments, companies, and organizations across the globe.

Ever since China began its ascendancy to great-power status in the 1980s, observers have focused on its growing economic, military, and diplomatic power. But in recent years, Chinese officials, businesses, and institutions have increased their visibility and influence on every major global issue, from climate change and artificial intelligence to biotechnology and the global Covid-19 pandemic. How have these newer issues changed China's relationship with the world? And, importantly, how can we prepare for a future increasingly shaped by China?

In China's Next Act, Scott M. Moore re-envisions China's role in the world, with a focus on sustainability and technology. Moore argues that these increasingly pressing, shared global challenges are reshaping China's economy and foreign policy, and consequently, cannot be tackled without China. Yet sustainability and technology present opportunities for intensified economic, geopolitical, and ideological competition--a reality that Beijing recognizes. The US and other countries must do the same if they are to meet ecological and technological challenges in the decades ahead. In some areas, like clean technology development, competition can be good for the planet. But in others, it could be catastrophic--only cooperation can lower the risks of artificial intelligence and other disruptive new technologies.

In this clearly written and accessible overview, Moore examines how countries like the US must balance cooperation and competition with China in response to shared challenges. With an emphasis on opportunities as well as threats, Moore addresses not only key developments in sustainability and technology within China, but also their implications for foreign countries, companies, and other organizations. China's influence on sustainability and technology is both global and granular--and twenty-first century China itself looks more like a network than a nation-state. Featuring original interviews and an in-depth look at Chinese government policy, China's Next Act provides a unique--and uniquely balanced--window into these new dimensions of China's global ascension.

Genres: China, Politics, History

320 pages, Hardcover

Published July 29, 2022

Reviews

[Dennis Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

China's Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology are Reshaping China's Rise and the World's Future by Scott Moore is a good book. There is a ton of useful bits of information contained within it. The book is caught in that transition period out of the pandemic and toward a return to normal geopolitics, so there are some parts of it that still bear the priorities and scars that period. Also, it came out just before the AI race between US and Chinese companies began to accelerate - so some things Moore brings up are a little outdated. Still, for what it is, I thought it was well done and I would have had a _LOT_ more praise if I read this a few years back.

[Jim Witkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful overview of China / US relations. Basically, it’s complicated. We need each other, but there’s trust issues on both sides, mostly for good reasons. Can we cooperate and compete while avoiding conflict? Can the US uphold its values and lead the world’s democracies by example, while still working with China to solve global challenges, despite a fierce competition to win the 21st century?

[Paul Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a while back. The introduction almost put me off but I found the rest of the book to be much better. It is a policy book so it isn't for everybody. I enjoyed it because I find the subject of US/China relations interesting and important.