Loved it. This book wasn't long enough! I don't understand the bad reviews. I'm not sure what people expected. It's a fairly large book, with a modest cover, and is simply titled, On China. I personally expected an account of China from the perspective and experiences of Henry Kissinger and that is exactly what I got. Although, I may not share all of his thoughts and perceptions, I enjoyed hearing what he had to say on the subject of China. In 2014, it's hard to imagine that only a few years ago China was a weak country with an anemic economy and meager trade with the United States. Kissinger makes the case that the miraculous transformation of China in just two decades, including the vigorous pursuit of science and technology education by exchange students in U.S. schools, and the explosion of international trade is the realization of the vision of one man: Deng Xiaoping.Although he gives inadequate attention to the tremendous human toll of the Cultural Revolution, and to the atrocities that China supported through the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and the Kim dynasty of North Korea, Kissinger's portrait of Chinese worldview is perceptive and nuanced. In describing how China and the United States navigated the issue of Taiwan, Kissinger makes the case that an important component of diplomacy is artful ambiguity.
What do You think about On China (2011)?
Establishment history with annotation by Kissinger. Leans towards conciliatory
—Kevin
Excellent history from the perspective of an experienced Statesman.
—raymax94
