On China by Henry Kissinger

Perhaps 10 or 15 years ago I read a couple of books by Henry Kissinger and I absolutely loved them.  There's something about his style of analysis, coupled with his first-person narrative of events, that makes global diplomacy - a potentially dry subject - particularly enjoyable.  I tear through the pages like it's a great spy thriller.

And so it was with On China.

He narrates a history of China going back several hundred years, but with a particular emphasis on the 19th century to the present.  Splendid in its isolation for nearly 4000 years, China collided with the western European powers in the 1800s and has never been the same since.

I loved the analysis of how China dominated Asia throughout history by absorbing its neighbors, by actively pitting them against one another, and when overpowered, simply stalling and buying time.  China did this through millennia.  There is something to be learned from China's ability to take the long-perspective, not getting frustrated with short-term drama.

Probably half of the book covers the 1970s to the present, the period of Kissinger's personal involvement as America's leading diplomat with China.

It's interesting to consider how much the world would differ today if Nixon and Kissinger had not opened the door to China in 1971.  Both the U.S. and China came together for the same reason, to tip the balance of power against the growing dominance with the Soviet Union.

By working together our two countries were able to dominate the world stage versus the Soviet Union, giving that country time to collapse under its own weight.  And because China decided to open its doors to America and the western world at large, it evolved in a way that has prolonged its existence after the fall of communism.  In isolation, China would have collapsed along with the USSR.

I'm very interested in learning more about China, a truly unique country that has carved its own path.  It's not a democracy, but it's not communistic either.  It has fully embraced market forces, while also paying obeisance to its unique history, heritage, culture and position.

A great read.

Up next, I believe, is the autobiography of Lee Kuan Yew.