Beijing Rules

For several decades Chinese ascendancy has been supported by an astonishingly broad and deep portfolio of soft power. The stories are their reach are breath-taking - Chinese-sponsored reporting in the Daily Telegraph ; the gagging of NBA and Premier League sports brands; state-funded faculties across Western academia; Hollywood self-censorship for the Chinese market; and of course - Huawei. But these are just the most visible examples. With some dextrous manoeuvrings during the global pandemic, Chinese munificence and leadership towards other states has now positioned it to take its place as leader of the world. This is the culmination of a long campaign waged strategically by the Chinese Communist Party before our eyes. Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, an internationally recognized expert in the "China influence beat" has been heading the investigation into the wielding of these covert investments for years. In Beijing Rules she goes further - not only outlining the many astonishing schemes in this bid for global dominance but showing us what their success tells us about ourselves . Their rise tells us how susceptible our own system of free market capitalism in a globalized economy is. Through the loopholes of big money in politics, corporate deregulation and the disenfranchisement of the worker, we have become vulnerable to the dispassionate forces of authoritarian capitalism. Our once key strength has become our weakness.

Vorwort

One of the most acclaimed journalists on contemporary China lays bare the country's two-decade quest for global dominance.

Autorentext

Bethany Allen

Zusammenfassung

LONGLISTED FOR FINANCIAL TIMES AND SCHRODERS BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD

A FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR

'Excellent . . . reveals an insidious matrix of spying, deception, censorship and repression . . . compelling' Daily Telegraph

'A timely read . . . Chilling . . . Startling . . . A powerful case for more coordinated western intervention' *Guardian
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'Brilliant' Irish Sunday Independent

The remarkable story of China's two-decade quest for global dominance.

For several decades China's ascendancy has been supported by an astonishingly broad and deep portfolio of quiet coercion. Stories of the Chinese Communist Party's authoritarian reach are breathtaking - the gagging of sports stars and huge Western brands; Hollywood self-censorship; infrastructure deals in exchange for political loyalty in multilateral organizations; and of course - communications firms. But these are just the most visible examples.

Beijing Rules exposes the armoury of strategies with which China has exploited Western weakness to position itself as leader in the game of nations: tying market access to political acquiescence; punitive tariffs; online disinformation operations; use of private companies to spy on global users; leveraging vaccines for geopolitical gain; and the crushing of democracy in Hong Kong. With these weapons and dextrous manoeuvrings during the global pandemic, China positioned itself to take its place at the apex of world powers.

Bethany Allen, an internationally recognized investigator into China's covert power, shows Western institutions have bowed to and even enabled Beijing's coercion. As we come reeling out of a global pandemic and eyes are on a new war in Europe, this revealing analysis sounds the alarm about the most significant shift in the new world order, and what we must do to prevent the loss of freedoms we take for granted.