Why read The China Fantasy?

Book cover of The China Fantasy: Why Capitalism Will Not Bring Democracy to China

Book description

The book that got China right: a prophetic work on how America's policies towards China led it away from liberalization and further towards authoritarianism, from the bestselling author of Rise of the Vulcans

"[The China Fantasy] predicted, China would remain an authoritarian country, and its success would encourage other authoritarian…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The China Fantasy as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Warren I. Cohen

Author

When this book was published it was a sensation that divided the world of China watchers. Indeed, my wife, Nancy Bernkopf Tucker, hated it—and I loved it.

Jim, a close personal friend of ours, was arguing that policies that most in the field endorsed, such as Permanent MFN (most favored nation tariff status), were a mistake; that the theory that as China’s economy developed, as it modernized, it would move toward becoming democratic was nonsense. He was dismissive of the Clinton administration’s policies and of the academics and other analysts who supported it.

His arguments resonated with me based on…

From Warren's list on The best books for understanding the coming war with China.