The Beijing Consensus

How China's Authoritarian Model Will Dominate the 21st Century

By: Stefan Halper

Narrated by: Robert Blumenfeld

Beijing presents a clear and gathering threat to Washington, but not for the reasons you think. China's challenge to the West stems from its transformative brand of capitalism and an entirely different conception of the international community. Taking us on a whirlwind tour of China in the world, from dictators in Africa to oligarchs in Southeast Asia to South American strongmen, Halper demonstrates that Chinas illiberal vision is rapidly replacing that of the so-called Washington Consensus.

Instead of promoting democracy through economic aid, as does the West, China offers no-strings-attached gifts and loans, a policy designed to build a new Beijing Consensus. The autonomy China offers, together with the appeal of its illiberal capitalism, have become the dual engines for the diffusion of power away from the West. The Beijing Consensus is the one book to read to understand this new Great Game in all its complexity.

©2010 Stefan Halper (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Though his position may seem pessimistic, the author does believe that China's concern with its prestige in the world gives the United States leverage in its attempt to shape the geopolitics, and he concludes this sobering, excellently argued book with a series of concrete policy recommendations to that end." (Publishers Weekly)

"To students and general-interest readers, Halper’s perspective and advice to American policy makers is a clearly conceived, jargon-free appreciation of China as ideological rival as well as commercial partner." (Booklist)

"Stefan Halper provides a thoughtful and well-researched book that addresses the impact of China's market-authoritarian model on global affairs in the century before us." (Henry Kissinger)

Intriguing

This disturbing review of China's growing role around the world explains, among other things, why China's rulers see maintenance of high economic growth as necessary for the survival of their regime and how this influences their relations with other nations (including rogue pariah regimes).

Great introduction to the Chinese mind.

Great general approach towards understanding Chinese miracle growth, my two comments are:

1) Written more than a decade ago, the world has changed. it would be interesting to see how this thoughts would apply to a contemporary 2022 China.

2) The book losses credibility when it speaks of Venezuela as an authoritarian government with economic growth, instead of authoritarian, corrupt, hyperinflation, poverty and misery.