Beijing Rules by Bethany Allen

BEIJING RULES by Bethany Allen, an award-winning China reporter at Axios, deals with China’s role as a world power, arguing that China has “weaponized its economy.” Allen begins with the coronavirus pandemic and notes that “China was the only major economy in the world to expand in 2020;” she further says “with the West flailing, he [Xi] saw a window of opportunity to go on the offensive.” Allen outlines a concept she calls “authoritarian economic statecraft” and argues that Beijing uses gatekeeping, legal and economic leverage (e.g., tariffs), and channels of influence to shape behavior beyond its borders. One of Allen’s key points is that Western attitudes towards China will need to change and are changing. The content is fairly academic and generally sophisticated, making for a rather dry read. However, the work is well-documented - at least a third of the book is devoted to Notes and an Index. BEIJING RULES received a starred review from Kirkus (“A disturbing, insightful book about China’s hidden, multitiered war—and how the West can fight back.”).