This book is a collection of the author’s experiences as a foreign journalist in China. It focuses on politics as well as economics and social issues as they relate to politics. It doesn’t have one chronological narrative but features several stories (probably over a dozen) of Chinese people over the last 40 years and how their lives have changed in the era of Deng Xioping’s modernization. If there is any one narrative, it is the author seeking to answer the question, “What has become of communist China now that it no longer practices communism?”
A major value held by the people the author speaks with is stability. Most people interviewed are happy that the Party has been able to maintain stable economic growth over time, but the biggest complaints are the lack of political freedoms and the economic separation into rich and poor that has come from China’s move towards capitalism. Together, these create a hard society to live in. It seems especially difficult for young people in China today, who are expected to achieve success before they marry, but are unable to do either, making them pariahs. The author mentions that people are riskier economically in China. People can start a business and fail and then start again. In one study, Chinese investors described themselves as much more cautious than Americans, but then when tested with hypothetical financial decisions, the Chinese investors were riskier. This could either be because traditional Chinese family networks offer a greater cushion or because of the new economic system, which in itself was a gamble, inspiring people to gamble more now that they see that it worked.
The way people view the revolution now is strange. The government says officially that Mao was 70% correct and 30% incorrect, which is pretty funny to imagine as an American. It is so strange to think of the government making an official rating of George Washington. In the revolution, the enemy was based on class- the rich. But now, the Chinese government focuses their efforts on stoking nationalism against “the West.” There is a big emphasis on the “Century of Shame,” from the Opium Wars to the Communist Revolution and how China declined but will rise again by using the West’s own inventions against it. Chinese foreign policy reflects this, as China more and more frequently denounces the actions of other governments, doing so only 3 times from 1949 to 1978 and now up to 5 times per year.
It seems like today China and America face two of the same challenges/opportunities and history will determine which people, which style of government, and which economic system were able to overcome them. One is nationalism. A Chinese supporter of anti-Japan demonstrations said, “Growing up in China, there are very few chances for you to feel like that- to be lifted spiritually, to be working on something bigger than yourself, more important than you immediate, ordinary life circle.” In China, the cult of Communism is gone and while some have turned to religion with the greater freedoms of the new era, the government has promoted nationalism. We see the same in America and it is disturbing to see the power of both movements. Parallel, nationalist movements in the two strongest countries on Earth could lead to war. The second is the Internet. A Chinese newspaper printed that the biggest threat to China today is the internet for the following reasons: “Every day, microbloggers and their mentors spread rumors, fabricate bad news about society, create an apocalyptic vision of China’s demise, and denigrate the socialist system- all to promote the Euro-American model of capitalism and constitutionalism.” This sounds a lot like “fake news” to me. In America we also deal with the same problem where people have access to all sorts of misinformation and disinformation that erodes our trust in each other and our government.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about modern China.
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