China Coup: The Great Leap to Freedom

Description

An expert's take on how a coup in China could launch a transition to democracy. This short book predicts—contrary to the prevailing consensus—that China's leader Xi Jinping will very soon be removed from office in a coup d'état mounted by rivals in the top leadership. The leaders of the coup will then end China's one-party dictatorship and launch a transition to democracy and the rule of law. Long-time diplomat and development banker Roger Garside draws on his deep knowledge of Chinese politics and economics first to develop a detailed scenario of how these events may unfold, and then—in the main body of the book—to explain why. His gripping, persuasive account of how Chinese leaders plot and plan away from the public eye is unique in published literature. Garside argues that under Xi's overconfident leadership, China is on a collision course with an America that is newly awakened out of complacency. As Xi's rivals look abroad, they are alarmed that he is blind to the reactions that China's actions have provoked from the world’s strongest power and its allies. In domestic affairs, Xi's rivals recognize that economic and social change without political reform have created problems that require not just new leaders but a new system of government. Security abroad and stability at home demand a revolution to which Xi is implacably opposed. To save China—and themselves—from catastrophe, they must remove him and end the dictatorship he is determined to defend. But their will and capacity to do so depend crucially on how liberal democracies act. Garside’s scenario shows America leading its allies in creating the conditions in which Xi's rivals move against him. Half Title Page Full Title Page Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Contents Preface 1 The Coup 2 Totalitarian China: Outwardly Strong, Inwardly Weak 3 The Looming Economic Crisis 4 No Trust, No Truth 5 Who Rules: God or the Party? Shouwang Church, Beijing Removing Crosses: The Zhejiang Campaign Henan Province Zion Church, Beijing The Linfen Network, Shanxi Province 6 An Environmental Catastrophe 7 Coronavirus: Cover-up and Costs 8 America and the Fate of Xi 9 The Great Unfinished Business 10 Launching the Revolution: This Part begins Where Part 1 Ended. Afterword: One Life, Two Questions Acknowledgments Notes Preface Chapter One. The Coup Chapter Two. Totalitarian China Chapter Three. The Looming Economic Crisis Chapter Four. No Trust, No Truth Chapter Five. Who Rules? Chapter Six. An Environmental Catastrophe Chapter Seven. Coronavirus Chapter Eight. America and the Fate of Xi Chapter Nine. The Great Unfinished Business Chapter Ten. Launching the Revolution Afterword Select Bibliography Index