James Mann, the China Fantasy: How Our Leaders Explain Away Chinese Repression

Excerpt

China’s economy has enjoyed double-digit growth for quite some time, with many people around the world believing that China is becoming an economic superpower. China’s influence has been making its impact on global affairs, including politics, international relations, trade, and culture. China is becoming a key partner as well as a competitor of the United States. Yet, the outside world still has great difficulty in understanding China’s future path, due to the obvious contrast between China’s free market economy and Communist authoritarian rule. The issue of China’s direction, however, requires urgent attention because China’s future can be vital in defining the world’s future. A sound US policy towards China is not only crucial in managing US–China relations but also in shaping the world order for decades to come. …