China and the Barbarians

China's development over the centuries has purposely diverged from that of the West in term of language, philosophy, and history, and for many decades its nationalism created a form of isolation. In order to maintain its influence the Chinese Communist Party has created the myth that, without the Party, China could not have returned to the world stage and that, without the Party, the 'territorial integrity' of the country cannot be restored.But what does this 'restored' China look like? To answer, Henk Schulte Nordholt examines how Bejing's regional policy is causing structural tensions between China and most of the countries located in East and Southeast Asia, and also, indirectly, their ally the United States.In China and the Barbarians, Nordholt offers his analysis of the possible trajectory of China's internal political and cultural developments in the coming years. Henk Schulte Nordholt is a sinologist. From 1981 he worked for the Ministry of Economic Affairs, promoting economic relations between the Netherlands and China. In 1985, he was appointed as the first director of the AMRO Bank in Beijing. Five years later, he decided to start his own company, Hofung. Henk Schulte Nord¬holt has been a speaker for over 20 years, based on his own experiences of living and working in China.