Unhappy China, and why it is cause for unhappiness

Unhappy China—The Great Time, Grand Vision and Our Challenges is a book written by Song Qiang, Huang Jisu, Song Xiaojun, Wang Xiaodong and Liu Yang and published in March 2009.[1] The book, a follow up to China Can Say No, caused controversy, encouraging China to become a hegemon rather than getting cast aside.[2]

The book was a bestseller, selling over 100,000 copies in the month after publication.[3] In contrast, the Chinese newspaper Shanghai Daily reported that the book "caused a stir among some experts and scholars" but "failed to strike a chord among average Chinese",[1] and some readers reject the book as "bitter rant of ultra left-wing intellectuals who feel sidelined under Beijing’s policies of reform and opening."[3]


Shanghai.com:
Time.com:

If you are interest in reading this book in Chinese, you can download it

Selling 100,000 in a month after publication is not really that big of a deal in China. Jinyong's works can sell tens of millions within a few weeks of publication. To put it into perspective, 100,000 would be as if every 1 out of 20 people in a large Beijing city district bought the book.

And Beijing has 16 districts.

BREAKING NEWS! There's someone in China who is unhappy! Now in accordance to international law, China now reverts back to colonial rule because we all know China was a much happier place then.

These people should be shot. Superficial drivel. I've seen multiple articles about this in the press as if it's a declaration that China has a fail system and must be disbanded. Let's take a poll right now about how many Westerners are happy right now with the way their countries are running today.

Well if this book is anything like the prequel, then it actually argues for a more independent and assertive China based on a more traditional system of beliefs and values with more characteristic Chinese institutions. The prequel, China Can Say No, heavily criticizes the diffusion of American culture and sociopolitical thought into China. It was highly anti-American and openly attacks America's China containment policy. So it is far from exhorting the superiority of the Western system over the Chinese one.

It was partly inspired by the Japanese book Japan Can Say No, which criticizes American business practices in Japan.

The China that can say "No!" is a lot better title that gets to the point. I remember that when both Japan and then China published it, it ruffled a lot of feathers in the circles of power in the world. "Unhappy China" is being spun by some as Chinese admission to failure and giving some the belief they were right all along and it is their duty to interfere in Chinese affairs.

AssassinsMace said:

The China that can say "No!" is a lot better title that gets to the point. I remember that when both Japan and then China published it, it ruffled a lot of feathers in the circles of power in the world. "Unhappy China" is being spun by some as Chinese admission to failure and giving some the belief they were right all along and it is their duty to interfere in Chinese affairs.

Click to expand...

Only if they didn't get as far as the sub-title of the book, never mind the synopsis.

READ the thing? Perish the thought old bean.