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China's dark triumph

In recent years foreign media has been praising China for opening to the West and stimulating the world economy but it has been going global for centuries. A review of Return to Dragon Mountain by Jonathan Spence. Many scholars point out that Chinese hegemony is far from assured, and that in its climb to power it has disappointed new friends and attracted unsavory allies. The first chapter from Social States: China in International Institutions, 1980-2000 by Alastair Iain Johnston. Ian Buruma on China's dark triumph: The success of its economy poses a serious challenge to liberal democracy. James Fallows on the $1.4 trillion question: The Chinese are subsidizing the American way of life — are we playing them for suckers or are they playing us?