The multitude of regional conflicts raging across our planet (Ukraine, Iran, Palestine, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region, among others) is fuelling growing fears about the risks of globalisation ultimately leading to the outbreak of a third world war. A ‘non-zero’ risk, as experts would say! However, it would be too hasty to forget that the supreme art of war, as advocated by Sun Tzu, is to subdue the enemy without combat. The importance of strategy and cunning, of subtle tactics to neutralise the adversary without engagement, therefore remains the true victory: the ability to neutralise the enemy’s actions without resorting to brute force. In
this new publication, Jean-Luc Buchalet, a renowned expert, lecturer and author of numerous books on economics (winner of the Turgot Special Prize in 2013), draws on his in-depth knowledge of Chinese history and culture to convey a form of subliminal message through a work of fiction with clear family ties. As the pages unfold , a highly complex Chinese reality emerges, intertwined with that of contrasting personalities and great leaders – profoundly human figures, most often dark and manipulative, from Mao to Xi.
Through the intersecting perspectives, the history and the testimonies of the extraordinary characters in this novel, some of whom are members of the author’s own family (his own father-in-law, a veterinarian who was in charge of a region and was imprisoned, and whose wife, a soldier and Red Guard, saved his life), we also discover the harsh reality of China’s modern history.
Under Xi, digitalisation ‘has become a tool of mass control, extending the authoritarian legacy of the Cultural Revolution’. China’s growing rivalry with the United States raises the spectre of a major conflict, particularly over Taiwan… But the worst is never over… at least, we can hope so!
The plot of this remarkable novel combines historical narrative and suspense, offering an intimate immersion into the ‘Chinese soul’. The author’s excellent writing skills play a significant role in this. This is also one of his great strengths , which readers will particularly appreciate.
Jean-Luc Buchalet: agricultural engineer and economist – lecturer at the Sorbonne and at IAE Paris, speaker, columnist, author of numerous books and leading specialist on China
Jean-Luc CHAMBON