Back from a mini tour of Yorkshire and Stockport and cheering for supporting act Indignation Meeting
Contentious conclusions on Xi Jinping
An otherwise valuable overview of the Chinese leader's thinking is marred by liberal bias, says KENNY COYLE
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A uncomfortably misogynistic authorial voice that sometimes seems to lack insight troubles FIONA O’CONNOR
Inside the Mind of Xi Jinping
by Francois Bougon
(Hurst £12.99)
ONE of the most powerful politicians on the planet, Chinese leader Xi Jinping still remains a puzzle to many Western observers.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"8494","view_mode":"inlineright","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""}]]Taking the helm at a crucial point in China’s development path as it rises to middle-income levels, Xi’s focus on advancing his country’s modernisation, while firmly rejecting Western economic and political models, has provoked considerable panic among Atlanticist liberals and corporate conservatives alike.
The book’s title may be slightly misleading, perhaps suggesting some on-the-couch psychological portrait of Xi. Instead, Francois Bougon has made a rare journalistic attempt to sketch out the various intellectual influences that Xi has absorbed over the years and, for those who take the trouble to read his speeches and writings, their influence in guiding his public statements and policy.
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