Book review: “The China Nexus” by Benedict Rogers
11 September 2024
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Markets and Morality
Markets and Morality
Benedict Rogers is a British human rights activist and the co-founder and trustee of Hong Kong Watch, with extensive experience in fighting for human rights in China and Asia. His new book The China Nexus – Thirty Years In and Around the Chinese Communist Party’s Tyranny is a poignant critique of the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It offers a grim yet vital account of the CCP’s repressive regime, drawing from personal experiences, interviews with exiles, and firsthand encounters.
Rogers’s experiences dealing with the CCP allowed him to navigate decades of political repression and human suffering. The book presents a thorough exposition of the CCP’s political strategies and meticulously documents the degradation of human rights and freedoms across various regions—from Tibet and Xinjiang to Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The author’s early encounters with China at the age of 18 set a personal tone, linking lived experiences with broader political events. This narrative approach enhances the authenticity of the accounts, and allows the reader to grasp the profound implications of these policies on individual lives. One of the book’s most compelling aspects is its coverage of the activist’s 50 trips to China, during which he conducted 80 interviews with various subjects, including dissidents, exiles, and even the Dalai Lama.
These interactions strengthen the book’s factual base with testimonial gravitas, painting a harrowing picture of life under the CCP’s governance. The narrative is enriched with detailed discussions on the systemic human right demolition in Hong Kong, the reported genocide of the Uyghurs, and the erosion of the rule of law, reflecting a comprehensive image of the CCP’s iron-fisted rule.
The author meticulously documents the CCP’s tactics to suppress pro-democracy movements, and analyses the implications for global politics. Roger argues that the ‘golden era’ of UK-China relations has ended, and urges Western democracies to reassess their diplomatic engagements with China.
The book is not without its limitations, as Rogers himself acknowledges. National security law prevented him from conducting more recent interviews within Hong Kong, missing out on some of the latest developments. This limitation is somewhat offset by the use of external interviews, but even so, a lot has happened since the time of writing. There was the passing of the second security law in March 2024, and the development of several prominent national security law trials – including the prosecution of the publisher and the British citizen, Jimmy Lai.
The China Nexus is more than a mere catalogue of grievances. It is a warning to the world. The book embodies a profound challenge to the reader’s understanding of international justice and human dignity. The author’s call for international justice for the crimes of the CCP underscores the book’s urgency and relevance.
The book concludes on a bleak yet not hopeless note, recognising the resilience and courage of those who continue to fight for freedom and dignity in China. The human spirit’s capacity to resist oppression is enormous.
In essence, The China Nexus is a critical and enlightening read, essential for those interested in understanding the complexities of China’s political landscape and the broader implications for global democracy and human rights. It serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing conflicts between totalitarian regimes and the values of freedom and the rule of law. The book’s detailed account of the CCP’s actions, the author’s analytical expertise, and compassionate advocacy make it a significant contribution to the literature on human rights and geopolitical strategy.
The China Nexus is a profound scholarly work that informs and challenges its readers to engage critically with the pressing international issues of our time by shedding light on the CCP’s dark corners.
This all leads to a series of dilemmas for supporters of free markets. Hong Kong was once the poster child – a free economy to which people escaped and found prosperity and which overtook the national income per head of its colonial masters. Jimmy Lai, a friend of Rogers, was one such escapee. Today, Hong Kong is increasingly controlled by its new master. IEA authors wrote about how China would and then did become capitalist. These included the founding editorial director, Arthur Seldon and the Nobel Prize winning economist, Ronald Coase, in “How China Became Capitalist” published by the IEA. But now, mainland China has taken a different turn. So where do supporters of economic freedom stand now? Will China become freer again or will its authoritarianism lead to its economic stagnation? Rogers does not deal with these questions in detail. But this book should lead us to think seriously again about the future of China and our relationship with it.
Chloe Lo is a Hong Konger and a former Bloomberg reporter. She covered prominent court proceedings, with a particular emphasis on cases tied to the Hong Kong unrest and the national security law. She holds a Master of Journalism degree from the University of Hong Kong.
Rogers’s experiences dealing with the CCP allowed him to navigate decades of political repression and human suffering. The book presents a thorough exposition of the CCP’s political strategies and meticulously documents the degradation of human rights and freedoms across various regions—from Tibet and Xinjiang to Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The author’s early encounters with China at the age of 18 set a personal tone, linking lived experiences with broader political events. This narrative approach enhances the authenticity of the accounts, and allows the reader to grasp the profound implications of these policies on individual lives. One of the book’s most compelling aspects is its coverage of the activist’s 50 trips to China, during which he conducted 80 interviews with various subjects, including dissidents, exiles, and even the Dalai Lama.
These interactions strengthen the book’s factual base with testimonial gravitas, painting a harrowing picture of life under the CCP’s governance. The narrative is enriched with detailed discussions on the systemic human right demolition in Hong Kong, the reported genocide of the Uyghurs, and the erosion of the rule of law, reflecting a comprehensive image of the CCP’s iron-fisted rule.
The author meticulously documents the CCP’s tactics to suppress pro-democracy movements, and analyses the implications for global politics. Roger argues that the ‘golden era’ of UK-China relations has ended, and urges Western democracies to reassess their diplomatic engagements with China.
The book is not without its limitations, as Rogers himself acknowledges. National security law prevented him from conducting more recent interviews within Hong Kong, missing out on some of the latest developments. This limitation is somewhat offset by the use of external interviews, but even so, a lot has happened since the time of writing. There was the passing of the second security law in March 2024, and the development of several prominent national security law trials – including the prosecution of the publisher and the British citizen, Jimmy Lai.
The China Nexus is more than a mere catalogue of grievances. It is a warning to the world. The book embodies a profound challenge to the reader’s understanding of international justice and human dignity. The author’s call for international justice for the crimes of the CCP underscores the book’s urgency and relevance.
The book concludes on a bleak yet not hopeless note, recognising the resilience and courage of those who continue to fight for freedom and dignity in China. The human spirit’s capacity to resist oppression is enormous.
In essence, The China Nexus is a critical and enlightening read, essential for those interested in understanding the complexities of China’s political landscape and the broader implications for global democracy and human rights. It serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing conflicts between totalitarian regimes and the values of freedom and the rule of law. The book’s detailed account of the CCP’s actions, the author’s analytical expertise, and compassionate advocacy make it a significant contribution to the literature on human rights and geopolitical strategy.
The China Nexus is a profound scholarly work that informs and challenges its readers to engage critically with the pressing international issues of our time by shedding light on the CCP’s dark corners.
This all leads to a series of dilemmas for supporters of free markets. Hong Kong was once the poster child – a free economy to which people escaped and found prosperity and which overtook the national income per head of its colonial masters. Jimmy Lai, a friend of Rogers, was one such escapee. Today, Hong Kong is increasingly controlled by its new master. IEA authors wrote about how China would and then did become capitalist. These included the founding editorial director, Arthur Seldon and the Nobel Prize winning economist, Ronald Coase, in “How China Became Capitalist” published by the IEA. But now, mainland China has taken a different turn. So where do supporters of economic freedom stand now? Will China become freer again or will its authoritarianism lead to its economic stagnation? Rogers does not deal with these questions in detail. But this book should lead us to think seriously again about the future of China and our relationship with it.
Chloe Lo is a Hong Konger and a former Bloomberg reporter. She covered prominent court proceedings, with a particular emphasis on cases tied to the Hong Kong unrest and the national security law. She holds a Master of Journalism degree from the University of Hong Kong.
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