David Daokui Li's book 'China's World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict' is criticized for its flawed premise that better understanding of China will lead to more positive attitudes towards the country [1a7af255]. The book is described as light on the economy and outdated, with misinformation and inaccuracies [1a7af255]. The author's worldview is seen as triggering Americans' fears about China, portraying an authoritarian government and territorial expansionism [1a7af255]. The book is considered interesting but not successful in its goal of reassuring Americans about China's intentions [1a7af255].
In contrast, Kerry Brown's book 'China Incorporated: The Politics of a World Where China is Number One' examines how China's rise has reshaped the global political order [16861612]. Brown highlights the impacts of Cold War modernization paradigms and conflicting values between East and West. The book explores China's transition from a perceived state of weakness to a relative decline of Western powers, emphasizing its ascendancy in land and naval capabilities and the distinctiveness of its value system [16861612]. Brown also delves into the theme of values within the realm of great power competition between China and the US, questioning the established modernization paradigm and stressing the inseparability of economic development and democratization [16861612]. The book analyzes China's behavior in the virtual domain and cyberspace, its soft power strategies, and its stance on human rights within the international system [16861612]. Brown's emphasis on values and the call to evaluate China's rise concurrently with the relative weakening of the West are thought-provoking and significant [16861612].
Christian Brose presents a comprehensive review on the implications of technological theft in his book 'Kill Chain' [296efc76]. Brose argues that the U.S. military's kill chain has become outdated and vulnerable, particularly in the face of China's ongoing unrestricted warfare against the U.S. [296efc76]. The book highlights the need for a U.S. global response, led by Special Operations Command, to counter China's unrestricted warfare [296efc76]. Brose suggests adopting a more dynamic kill chain to maintain parity and deterrence [296efc76]. The book serves as a wake-up call for the urgent need for defense reform and advocates for a defense posture that is adaptive, resilient, and forward-looking [296efc76].
Jeffrey Ding, Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University, discusses how technological revolutions influence competition and the implications for the United States and China in a podcast [2450434c]. Ding's book, 'Technology and the Rise of Great Powers,' examines how technological advances shape economic leadership and military power. The key message is that general purpose technologies (GPTs) have a significant impact on economic growth and geopolitical influence. GPTs take about four decades to make a substantial impact on productivity. The diffusion of GPTs across the entire economy is crucial for sustaining economic growth and military effectiveness. China has focused on leading sector innovation but has not emphasized diffusion, which is essential for broad-based adoption of technologies. The U.S. should rebalance its technology policy towards diffusion, including investing in STEM workforce development, technology diffusion institutions, and education institutions. The podcast also touches on the implications of GPTs for national defense and the interaction between leading sector theory and diffusion theory [2450434c].
In assessing the US perception of China's threat, it is important to consider the flawed premise of books like 'China's World View' that aim to provide a better understanding of China. The book by David Daokui Li is criticized for being light on the economy and outdated, with misinformation and inaccuracies. It is seen as triggering Americans' fears about China by portraying an authoritarian government and territorial expansionism. While the book may be interesting, it is not successful in its goal of reassuring Americans about China's intentions [1a7af255]. On the other hand, Kerry Brown's book 'China Incorporated: The Politics of a World Where China is Number One' offers a comprehensive analysis of China's rise and its impact on the global political order. Brown explores the effects of Cold War modernization paradigms and conflicting values between East and West, highlighting China's ascendancy in land and naval capabilities and its distinct value system. The book also examines China's behavior in the virtual domain, its soft power strategies, and its stance on human rights. Brown's emphasis on values and the need to evaluate China's rise alongside the relative weakening of the West provides valuable insights [16861612]. Christian Brose's book 'Kill Chain' focuses on the implications of technological theft and argues for a more dynamic kill chain to counter China's unrestricted warfare. The book calls for urgent defense reform and a forward-looking defense posture [296efc76]. Jeffrey Ding's podcast on general purpose technologies (GPTs) further explores the impact of technological revolutions on economic and military power. Ding emphasizes the importance of GPT diffusion for sustaining economic growth and military effectiveness, highlighting China's focus on leading sector innovation but lack of emphasis on diffusion. The podcast also discusses the implications of GPTs for national defense and the interaction between leading sector theory and diffusion theory [2450434c].