The title seemed a bit puzzling to me from the very beginning. I never considered China’s leader as someone who could be called “the most powerful in the world.” The surprise quickly wears off after reading a dozen or so pages of this book.
Two authors present the biography of the current leader of China against the background of the dynamic development of this country, which we have been observing for several decades. The development has become particularly dynamic in the last decade. China is investing intensively in various sectors of the economy, not only on its own territory. The weakening position of the United States and Europe has caused the center of gravity of the global economy to shift to Asia. Much of this is due to the current leader of China, which is gaining influence in many corners of the world.
Development, of course, comes at the cost of limiting human rights in China, mass surveillance, and some kind of “training” of society. Opposition to the authorities is not accepted, and the hand of justice may reach influential oppositionists also outside China. The book also describes the specific type of communism practiced by the Chinese government.
The book stimulates reflection. As an observer from Europe, it may seem that China is only an “undemocratic” state and not a dictatorship. However, it is actually a dictatorship with a cult of personality. Economic success and dynamic development therefore have a huge social price.
As a resident of a Western country, I look at the phenomenon of development with concern because another power has emerged in the world and wants to expand on the global map of influence. The book is written objectively and gives a reliable picture of China’s economic success and the power apparatus that prevails in this country, with the central role of Xi Jinping.
The book is not translated to English yet [2024-07-23].