Rating: 
Summary: An excellent book that speaks the truth!
Review: A must read for everyone who is interested in the future of the global politics. Very well and truthfully written, highly recommanded.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book that speaks the truth!
Review: A must read for everyone who is interested in the future of the global politics. Very well and truthfully written, highly recommanded.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but biased.
Review: A racist, imperial, semiterrorist outfit, that is the conclusion
of the author about the current Chinese regime, and also about China in general throughout history. Yes, there is a "Us vs Them"
or Han Chinese verus barbarians element in Chinese culture and history, but when the Hans were sometimes deadly enemies with the normadic peoples, it is pretty difficut not developing a "Us vs Them" mentality. Have you ever heard the phrase "the only good indian is a dead indian"? Imperial? The current Chinese state does include territories that are inhabited by peoples who are not called Chinese traditionally, so is the whole continent of America, south and north. Does anyone seriously think the native Americans, or what is left of them, to be allowed to vote to evict anyone who is not one of them from the United States of America? What about Australia - where the author originally came from? Would the aborigines there be allowed to cast votes to kick everyone else out? China a semiterrorist outfit? China does regularly threaten Taiwan with invason because it
considers Taiwan to be part of its country waiting to be reclaimed. If US could invade Iraq because it suspected Iraq was
hiding WMDs even though nothing of that nature is found to this day except a bunch of gold bars, then why can't any country invade any other country for whatever reason?
Rating:
Summary: Not new, but well discribed
Review: After reading this book, I can clearly understand the current behavior of PRC such as an ethnic cleaning in Tibet and Inner Monglia, an attempt to occupy Tiwan, and a frequent border violation to Japan.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but misleading
Review: As a researcher of Chinese foreign policy in Taiwan for more than 10 years, I thank the author for supporting the status of Taiwan. But to be frank, some facts inside this this edition are simply distorted and covered. And this compassionate book is not a serious academic research based on precisely defined concepts, such as "empire" and "ethnic cleansing."
For example, the author said that China started its rule in Taiwan from 1884. This is simply a ignorance or mistake in Taiwanese or Chinese history. The year of 1884 is the time Qing Dynasty formally entitled Taiwan as a province. Before 1884, Taiwan island, which consisted of several counties, was under the rule of Fujian Province for more than 100 years. Qing absorbed Taiwan in late seventeenth century by defeating a Ming general retreated from the mainland, and then places one "district" (Fu) and three counties (Xian). I am curious why the learnt author did not know this simple fact.
The author also failed to clearify the concept of "ethnic cleansing" and applied this indifferently to Tibet, Inner Mongolia and East Turkistein (Xinjiang). We are not sure if the author accused China of doing the same things like Nazi and wartime Japan. Common sense is not persuasive in these cases.
If the reader is searching for a serious study of contemporary chinese foreign policy which argues for containment of this "sinocentric empire," Mearsheimer's "The Tragedy of Great Power Politics" will be much better than this novel book.
Rating: 
Summary: totally biased , not worth reading at all
Review: at least I admire this author's courage to write such a book without knowing that much about China and its people.
Rating: 
Summary: 3.5 Stars....Biased, but useful and convincing
Review: By the middle of the first chapter of this book, you know exactly where Ross Terrill stands. He is not a fan of the CCP. That being said, I found his view refreshing. There are many China apologists writing out there, and this book tries to balance the field.Some complaints:
- Terrill is vague in parts. Take this sentence for example: "Historically, the centralization-devolution swings were sometimes a prelude to dynastic decline and fragmentation, but not always"(pg. 180). There are many wishy-washy sentences like that in "New Chinese Empire." Also, I am in the dark as to what 'synergy' really means in the context of international relations. A more detailed explanation would have been welcomed.
- China scholars would disagree with Terrill that because China does not hold national, free elections, Chinese citizens have no say in their government (see Shi Tianjian's "Political Participation in Beijing"). Elections are not the only, and not even the most effective, mode of participation. Chinese participate in a variety of ways...refusal to attend meetings, local elections, protests against local cadres, letter writing (which Terrill dismisses offhand as 'petitioning the court'), etc.
- Some of what Terrill writes contradicts what I have learned (not to say I am right; conflicting sources automatically make me wary). For example: Terrill claims the protests following the accidental American bombing of the Chinese embassy in Serbia were coordinated by the government. I was under the impression that the government tried its best to get Chinese to stop protesting for the sake of Sino-American harmony.
- Terrill can be overly harsh on China. In his disussion of Sino-Japanese relations, he criticizes China for not letting World War II issues go. To be fair, Japan never has apologized for atrocoties committed in that war, and its nations textbooks do not address the question honestly. The fact that China also censors its textbooks / history does not lessen Japan's blame . Also, there were a few times I felt Terrill was a micrometer away from calling China "Chicom," and he did call it a 'semi-terrorist outfit.' This seems a bit much.
- Terrill's argument seems to rely too much on emotion. He taps into American frustrations at China's grandstanding, and finds a historical basis for it.
- Some of the accusations Terrill waves at China could be said just as equally about America, or any country for that matter. He states China doesn't have allies, and therefore they are inconsistent and dishonest in foreign policy. No country has allies, they have interests, and these interests change over time. Terrill's accusation singles China out, but can be applied to every country in every time. All those complaints aside, overall I liked this book. I particularaly liked his explanation of China's claims on territory that is simply not theirs (Tibet, Xinjiang, Manchuria, etc.). His view on Taiwan was especially appreciated. He notes that talk about the "Taiwan problem" masks that there is no problem. Taiwan is a healthy, prosperous democracy. The problem is that China claims to own it. Having lived in Taiwan, I can attest to the fact that the Mainland's propoganda claiming that the Taiwan issue is exacerbated by American policy is absolutely false. I have yet to meet a Taiwanese person who thinks "re"unification is anywhere close to a good idea. But I digress... Okay, so in summary, this book was a good read, but read with a critical eye.
Rating:
Summary: interesting but flawed
Review: Good for a 'counter' view of modern China...this is how the far right want to see China in the near future. So its worth a read to understand the criticisms being made of the PRC and its leadership. Sadly, Terrill seems to want little more than for the PRC to be another United States - odd for a fellow actually born in Australia! In fact this book reads like the standard far right/conservative nonsense - ignore the facts and twist the evidence to suit a pre-determined point of view. Example - Terrill quotes (with approval) the thoughts of Friedrich Hayek as if these are appropriate to apply to China. In doing so he ignores the current contest over the use of this brand of economics in the West and the hot debate over whether it has any place at all in the developing world. Terrill also evades much too easily the current global debate over the US as a latter day imperial power. And he misreads the history of Taiwan and (South) Korea in argung a connection between liberal democracy and capitalist development. In truth both these countries laid the foundation of economic growth through progressive policies of land reform during periods of military dictatorship. Terrill also misrepresents (for his narrow ends) the position of 'overseas' Chinese and their construction of self-identity. His claim that such people are BOTH Chinese and (say) American glosses over the experience of many who wrestle with belonging in both places and neither at the same time. After his much more colourful biography of Mao (warts and all I might add) this book was a disappointment. But that does not make it any less a useful insight...this time into the recycled Cold War Warriors of the US.
Rating:
Summary: Very interesting and insightful
Review: I think this book is very insightful in its exposition of the historical and cultural roots of the current Chinese government. The problem highlighted in the book is well reflected in the attitude of the previous reviewer. The regime creates an illusion through myth and creative history that associates the Chinese civilization with itself. The crucial thing to realize here is that the communist government IS NOT representative of chinese civilization. Neither have they contributed anything to chinese civilization, in fact their massive idiocy did much to destroy chinese culture. Like the Terril, I love the country but hate the government. It's a disgrace that the bulk of chinese people in this world have the misfortune of being ruled by such an idiotic regime. Buy this book so you can see past the myth and lies that the communist government uses to maintain power. Do not confuse the greatness of Chinese civilization with the idiocy of the chinese government. They had no part in the great achievements of Chinese individuals throughout history, so don't give them credit for it!
Rating:
Summary: A good antidote to the myriad paeans being sung to China..
Review: I was a little skeptical of this book's relevance to me and my work given the (somewhat misleading) subtitle of "What it means for the US". Don't pay too much attention to it. As is anyone's guess almost anything written about China is most likely relevant to everyone in business. While most news publications choose to focus on China's Global-Sweatshop status or its enviable FDI levels in the past decade or so, a recent spate of authors have also picked up the counter-theory cudgels to dispel all such quickfooted "China is the next superpower" myths. Notable among these are Chang's best selling "The Coming Collapse of China" or Cheff's "China Dawn" that raised some interesting flags about the cracks in the Chinese scaffolding. So the overall theme of this book is not a big seminal surprise. We have seen and heard this before -- an onerous finger being pointed squarely at China's somewhat defunct cloak-and-dagger posturing towards information control and political rule. But where Terrill's work stands out and becomes a compelling addition to your China related stash is his fabulous coverage of the last 2000 years of Chinese history and how it relates to the nation's policies in the present. Among the symptoms that the Chinese regime is "dysfunctional in the world of nation-states" is its clinging to the ways of empire. Over the years, China has used its imperial good times to grab neighboring territories including Yunnan, Tibet and Xinjiang. During periods of weakness, Chinese strategy has tended to be "Let us bide our time, and disguise frailty as power". To awe their subjects, for instance, the mandarin emperors falsely maintained that leaders ranging from Britain's King George III to the Mughal Tamerlane were paying tribute to them. The author contends that even today the state continues to turn weakness into strength in a similar fashion -- by convincing the world that in both business and diplomacy it needs China more than China needs the world -- thus remaining an "empire of theatre and presumption," a nation that is "deeply corrupt, politically unstable, yet extremely ambitious." This politically charged analysis is IMHO a very refreshing perspective and although no concrete predictions about how this will/can change are forthcoming, perhaps understandably so, Terrill still offers an interesting framework for reckoning China's supposedly stellar future by laying out its imperialistic past in such excruciating but lucid detail. A very satisfying, insightful read and an important addition to your collection if you understand that the thematic intent of this book is very specific. If you are interested in China and haven't yet read Gordon Chang, I would also recommend "The Coming Collapse of China".
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