"Really, really good, a fascinating book to read. So if you are thinking of buying something for someone at Christmas, I suggest you find out more about China. Some of it is pretty scary stuff" — The Stand with Eamon Dunphy

Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2023

As seen in The Times, Sunday Times, Spectator, and on Tonight with Andrew Marr (LBC)

Under President Xi Jinping, China’s global ambitions have taken a dangerous new turn. Bullying and intimidation have replaced diplomacy, and trade, investment, even big-spending tourists and students have been weaponised. Beijing has strengthened its alliance with Vladimir Putin, supporting Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and brooks no criticism of its own flagrant human rights violations against the Uyghur population in western China.

Western leaders say they don’t want a cold war with China, but it’s a little too late for that. Beijing is already waging a more complex, broader and more dangerous cold war than the old one with the Soviet Union. And it is intensifying.

This thought-provoking and alarming book examines this new cold war’s many fronts – from Taiwan and the South China Sea to the Indian frontier, the Arctic and cyberspace. In doing so it proclaims the clear and sobering message that we must open our eyes to the reality of China’s rise and its ruthless bid for global dominance.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Map
• Introduction: China’s New Cold War
• 1. The Taiwan Strait: The Most Dangerous Place on Earth
• 2. The South China Sea: The Biggest Territorial Grab Since the Second World War
• 3. Southeast Asia: Paying Tribute to the Emperor
• 4. Brawling on the Roof of the World
• 5. From the Frozen Arctic to the Digital World: The Frontiers of China’s New Cold War
• 6. Disinformation, Spying and Sabotage: The Cyber Panda Bears Its Claws
• 7. The Awkward Dance of the Panda and the Bear
• 8. Target Taiwan: The Chinese Anaconda Tightens Its Grip
• 9. The Myth of ‘One China’: Why Taiwan is an Independent Country
• 10. Why Taiwan Matters
• 11. Chips with Everything: A Taiwanese Lynchpin in the Global Economy
• 12. Japan: Asia’s Quiet Achiever Steps Out of the Shadows
• 13. The Muddled China Policy of ‘Global Britain’
• 14. Standing up to China: Lessons from Aussie ‘Scumbags’ and ‘Tiny, Crazy’ Lithuanians
• 15. Peak China: The Future of the Chinese Communist Party
• Epilogue: The Long Shadow of the Ukraine War
• Notes
• Index