Ellen Bork is the neocon organization Project for the New American Century’s rabid anti-China attack dog. She has written a review of Pei Minxin’s book, China’s Trapped Transition. Pei is directs the China program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
The book presents a gloomy view of a China ravaged by corruption and venal power hungry cadres, and argues that economic liberalization will not bring about political reform. All of which pleases Bork.
She’s not too pleased however, in the penultimate paragraph of her review, when she discovers that Pei, it seems, does not sign on completely to the China threat agenda:
Having stayed out of policy throughout the book, Pei is a bit clumsy in describing the players in the China debate, suggesting that the “fizzle” of China’s rise will disappoint both the “liberal engagers,” who want democracy, and the “hard-nosed realists obsessed with the potential threat” from China, who hunger for big defense budgets. This lacks the subtlety and insight that distinguishes the rest of the book.
Lacks subtletly and insight!
More like, this is the part where the reality-based Pei Minxin kicks in, while the crazed China-threat specialist Ellen Bork sees only red and Reds.
- The Weekly Standard: China Syndrome – Capitalism does not necessarily lead to democracy by Ellen Bork
- The Project for the New American Century: Articles on East Asia – many by Ellen Bork
- Slate: The China Syndrome – Why the Pentagon keeps overestimating Beijing’s military strength. (note to editors: ‘The China Syndrome’ is getting a little boring as a headline)