In an era of intense Sinophobia, “China in Global Capitalism: Building International Solidarity against Imperial Rivalry,” published by Haymarket Books is an important book. Most analyses of China emanating from both the West and from China’s “rivals” in the Global South paint a picture of a monolith, remote-controlled by the CCP, with no internal variegation or vibrant civil society. This short book, written by China experts, Labor Leaders, and NGO researchers, is a salutary foil for these monochromatic and often racist analyses of the Chinese polity.
The authors, Eli Friedman, Kevin Lin, Rosa Liu, and Ashley Smith take pains to navigate the shoals: They do not disown the various legitimate criticisms of the Chinese government and economic model, but also do not indulge in kneejerk Sinophobia; instead, they outline the incredible work being done within China by workers, feminists, ecologists, farmers, and urban activists to create a more equitable society.
China is an enigma to most in the West, and this bedevils the creation of networks of solidarity between, say, working class folks in the US and in China. In fact, they have a lot in common though, of course, this cannot be overstated. While discussing China, we should not engage in infantile Leftism of the sort that suggests that all workers are in the “same boat” or have natural solidarity. But the counter-point- racism, Sinophobia, and jingoism is far more damaging.
This volume is a powerful reminder of the complexity of China and the need to stop indulging in hackneyed analyses of this vast country and its amazing people.
