We Need to Talk About Xi |
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6 February 2024 - Adetswil
Michael Dillon's short biography of Xi Jinping is up-to-date and published just this year. It contains what information about Xi's life and early career are available. China is a fairly opaque place though, so the lack of detail isn't surprising. The second half of the book is more about Chinese policy in the Xi era since 2012. The crushing of Hong Kong, the brinksmanship with Taiwan, and the Uyghur genocide (although Dillon for some reason refuses to call it that) are all covered. Tibet, Macau, the South China Sea claims, armed conflict with India, etc. not so much. Xi has apparently taken to aping his predessor Mao in creating a cult of personality. He even has a little book of quotations for citizens to memorize. Ever China reverts to the imperial model. Since there's no Bob Woodward with close access to report on Xi, we're left with what little he allows to appear in the Chinese media. He doesn't grant interviews and it's not well know who his friends and confidants are. Dillon is certainly not an insider although he knows China well, so the biography is a light one. I suppose that makes it easy to open the conversation, which is what he's trying to do.
