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Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Wanna understand China today?: Here’s a new reading list, kind of business-oriented

There has been some polite jostling going on this week between the U.S. Navy and Chinese military over the tepid waters of the South China Sea.

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4041838162_d880a26f8f_b21

There has been some polite jostling going on this week between the U.S. Navy and Chinese military over the tepid waters of the South China Sea. With that in mind, here is a reading list about how to better understand today’s China. I confess I haven’t read any of them, partly because the list is of recent Western books about current Chinese culture and business practices.

There has been some polite jostling going on this week between the U.S. Navy and Chinese military over the tepid waters of the South China Sea. With that in mind, here is a reading list about how to better understand today’s China. I confess I haven’t read any of them, partly because the list is of recent Western books about current Chinese culture and business practices.

And while you are reading, here is a scorecard on the players.

If I were trying to understand China, I think I might begin with one of my favorite novels, The Vagrants. Also, for your files, China now imports more oil than the U.S. does.

Meanwhile, here’s a reading list about possible future wars. Good subject for a list.

Also, given that it is Memorial Day weekend, you might wanna add this to your reading plans.

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1
Tag: China

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