Why China Will Never Rule the World: Book Review
We’ve all been hearing about China’s rise to power and its emergence as a new leader on the world stage for years now. Honestly it’s difficult to tell to what extent any of those predictions have come to fruition. Are these reports simply journalistic sensationalism or does the Western world need to prepare to become subjects of a new global leader?
In his rather bluntly titled book Why China Will Never Rule the World – Travels in the Two Chinas author Troy Parfitt provides a rare glimpse into the subtleties of Chinese society from an interestingly grounded, yet scholarly perspective. Rather than providing a rather lengthy economic and political analysis of China, Parfitt provides a much more realistic and tangible account of Chinese society observed from the ground (as opposed to a more academic and objective view of the society as a whole).
Parfitt tells his story as a Canadian who has spent the past decade teaching English in Taiwan. The term “travels in the two Chinas” refers to his ad hoc comparison of the conditions that he encounters while traveling throughout mainland China and Taiwan. Setting out on a vacation of sorts, he explores the nuances of Chinese society as he experiences it on his travels. While it might be easy to dismiss his writing as subjective and lacking bearing in cultural relevance, Parfitt provides a remarkably candid account free of the quixotic ramblings that typify descriptions of Chinese society.
I’d be lying if I said that Parfitt’s account doesn’t take on a discernibly negative undertone, but oddly it adds a tremendous amount of entertainment value to the book. In many ways, I envisioned it as the account that Holden Caulfield might write if he ever got his life straightened out post Catcher in the Rye. Parfitt struggles through the grime and chaos of travel throughout both Chinas describing some of the more graphic and off-setting portions of his journey (including his exposure to extortion, prostitution, and lacking public facilities). Parfitt is also brave enough to identify what he sees as cultural/educational deficiencies (something that we don’t see very often due to fears of being labeled as a cultural imperialist).
Parfitt is a tome of historical information when it comes to China. He regales the reader with descriptions of the tourist traps and historical sites that he visits reconciling historically accurate descriptions of events against government approved accounts. He discusses history and political climate with those who he encounters revealing exactly how deeply government-sponsored misinformation has become ingrained in both citizens and tourists. He also pushes against the sacred pillar of Confucianism questioning its integration and synthesis within Chinese society.
Photo Credit: Alan Walker via http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/49811
Why China Will Never Rule the World – Travels in the Two Chinas leaves few stones unturned in terms of discussing many of the commonly held conceptions about Chinese society. Parfitt takes a number of political complexities and drawn out histories and places them in a format that is accessible and entertaining. His combination of travel narrative and cultural discussion creates context and depth for the reader. Rather than providing dry historical facts, Parfitt presents the progression of Chinese society as a broad cross-section.
Why should you read this book? Many times when we (as Westerners) read or talk about another culture or political system, we encounter a general resistance to talk about cultural limitations. Perhaps it’s out of the past Western tendencies toward colonization and our remaining shame from that particular historical juncture, but it’s extremely rare to see an account of another culture’s “issues” without an attempt to ultimately end with a positive spin. Parfitt describes the world as he sees it. From my perspective Why China Will Never Rule the World – Travels in the Two Chinas provides an unparalleled descriptive narrative that can help us build our expectations regarding what we expect to see from China in the coming decades.
Josh O’Conner is a Planner/Zoning Administrator in Asheville, North Carolina. You can find him on the web at triggerhippie.com, localplan.org, or twitter.com/joshoconner. Contact Josh via e-mail (josh -at-localplan.org). He was provided a copy of the book by the publisher for review. This post was originally featured on LocalPlan.org
