The China Fantasy Why Capitalism Will Not Bring Democracy to China

"From Clinton to Bush to Obama, the prevailing belief was engagement with China would make China more like the West. Instead, as [James] Mann predicted, China has gone in the opposite direction." -The New York Times, February 2018

One of our most perceptive China experts, James Mann wrote The China Fantasy as a vital wake-up call to all who are ignorant of America's true relationship with the Asian giant. For years, our leaders posited that China could be drawn to increasing liberalization through the power of the free market, but Mann asked us to consider a very real alternative: What if China's economy continues to expand but its government remains as dismissive of democracy and human rights as it is now?

Now the results are in: the reign of Xi Jinping has proven that Mann was right. To understand how China got to its current state and why it may not be too late to turn back, The China Fantasy is essential reading. Calling for an end to the current policy of overlooking China's abuses for the sake of business opportunities, Mann presents an alternative path to a better China.