Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2023

As seen in The Times, Sunday Times, Spectator, and on Tonight with Andrew Marr (LBC)

Under President Xi Jinping, China's global ambitions have taken a dangerous new turn. Bullying and intimidation have replaced diplomacy. Trade and investment, even big-spending tourists and students, have been weaponised. Beijing has strengthened its alliance with Vladimir Putin, supporting Russia's aggression in Ukraine, and brooks no criticism of its own flagrant human rights violations against the Uyghur population in western China.

Leaders in the West say they don't want a cold war with China, but it's a little late for that. Beijing is already waging a more complex, broader and more dangerous cold war than the old one with the Soviet Union. And it is intensifying.

This thought-provoking and alarming book examines this new cold war's many fronts - from Taiwan and the South China Sea to the Indian frontier, the Arctic and cyberspace. In doing so it proclaims the clear and sobering message that we must open our eyes to the reality of China's rise and its ruthless bid for global dominance.

About the Author

Ian Williams was foreign correspondent for Channel 4 News and NBC News, reporting from China over the last 25 years, he has also covered conflicts in the Balkans, the Middle East and Ukraine. He won an Emmy and BAFTA awards for his reporting of the Bosnian war. He is currently a doctoral student in the War Studies department at King's College, London, focusing on cyber issues.

Reviews

'This well respected journalist lays out a compelling case for why successive policies towards China have been unhelpful and how we are all going to be affected more dramatically by issues emanating from the country'

-- Martha Lane Fox * Times *

'Absolutely fascinating'

-- Andrew Marr (LBC)

'An essential read for anybody who wants to understand the foreign policy of modern-day China, and in particular the role and goals of China's leader Xi Jinping ... A fascinating book, a really good read'

-- Phil Harding, journalist and broadcaster

'In this fascinating new book the former foreign correspondent, who's covered China for Channel 4 and NBC News, asserts that the West is already engaged in a new Cold War with Xi Jinping's regime...A fascinating, accessible guide to our new geopolitical reality'

-- James Wilson * Tortoise Media *

'[A] superb book... I recommend it very highly'

-- Benedict Rogers, chief executive of Hong Kong Watch

'a wide-ranging, meticulous study (with) detailed scholarship and depth of deduction and contemplation'

* St Andrews in Focus *

'China's demented zero-Covid policy is no longer about health... it's about power and mass surveillance'

* Daily Mail *

'The most important book I've read this year... Eye opening'

-- Matt Ridley, author of Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19

'Really, really good, a fascinating book to read. So if you are thinking of buying something for someone at Christmas, I suggest you find out more about China. Some of it is pretty scary stuff'

-- Eamon Dunphy * The Stand with Eamon Dunphy *


Awards
Short-listed for Orwell Prize for Political Writing 2023.



Book Information
ISBN 9781780278759
Author Ian Williams
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Birlinn Ltd
Publisher Birlinn General
Weight(grams) 319g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 25mm