Hidden Hand (book)

Summary

Hidden Hand: Exposing How the Chinese Communist Party Is Reshaping the World is a 2020 book by Australians Clive Hamilton and Mareike Ohlberg, and is a follow-up of Hamilton's 2018 book Silent Invasion. The book details the claim of "the Chinese Communist Party's global program of influence and subversion, and the threat it poses to democracy".[1][2]

Hidden Hand: Exposing How the Chinese Communist Party Is Reshaping the World
AuthorClive Hamilton and Mareike Ohlberg
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
SubjectChinese Communist Party's influence operations, Australia–China relations[1]
GenreNon-fiction
Set inAustralia and the People's Republic of China
PublisherHardie Grant (Australia), Optimum Publishing International (North America).
Publication date
4 May 2020
Pages448
ISBN9781743795576 (Paperback)
OCLC1150166864
Preceded bySilent Invasion: China's influence in Australia[1] 
WebsiteHidden Hand (book) at the Internet Archive

The book details what the authors describe as "the nature and extent of the Chinese Communist Party's influence operations across the Western world – in politics, business, universities, think tanks and international institutions such as the UN. This new authoritarian power is using democracy to undermine democracy in pursuit of its global ambitions".[3]

Andrew Podger wrote in his book review in The Conversation that while it was extremely detailed, it was not a balanced and scholarly document. He said that while Hamilton and Ohlberg wanted to respond to Chinese influence by rejecting liberal economics and strengthening democratic politics, what was needed was actually a combination of both.[4]

Translations edit

The Japanese translation was published by Asuka Shinsha Publishing as Invisible Hand: How Is the Chinese Communist Party Reshaping the World? (見えない手 中国共産党は世界をどう作り変えるか; ISBN 9784864108010) on December 25, 2020.[5]

Censorship attempts edit

In June 2020, the 48 Group Club and its chairman Stephen Perry launched a libel lawsuit in a failed attempt to block the publication of the book in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[6][7][8]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Hidden Hand". Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Book, Report Spark Concern Over China's UK Elite Influence Operations". Radio Free Asia. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Hidden Hand". Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  4. ^ Podger, Andrew. "Book Review: Hidden Hand – Exposing How the Chinese Communist Party is Reshaping the World". The Conversation. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Invisible Hand: How Is the Chinese Communist Party Reshaping the World? (見えない手 中国共産党は世界をどう作り変えるか)". Asuka Shinsha Publishing (in Japanese). December 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  6. ^ Fife, Robert; Chase, Steven (19 June 2020). "Legal challenge halts Canadian, U.S. and U.K. release of book critical of Chinese Communist Party". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  7. ^ Nuttall, Jeremy (18 June 2020). "Legal troubles threaten to derail Canadian launch of book about Beijing's influence operations". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  8. ^ Quinn, Jimmy (23 June 2020). "The Strange Attempt to Stop a New Book on China's Global Influence". National Review. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.

External links edit