Two decades ago, I was a guest of the Chinese government on an expenses-paid, escorted ‘VIP tour’ of the country. Over the years, I have also attended receptions in Chinese embassies. The wine served at them was universally awful, but no matter, in the eyes of Clive Hamilton and Mareike Ohlberg, this is probably sufficient to make me suspect of being under Chinese influence.

In Hidden Hand they aim to expose the way in which the Chinese Communist Party is trying to undermine democratic systems in its pursuit of global influence, through intimidation, coercion and the ‘dark arts of economic statecraft’. Chinese behaviour is certainly deeply worrying, and there are too many disturbing examples of Western governments and businesses looking the other way. Recent cases include Zoom blocking the accounts of users planning to commemorate the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, Apple removing certain apps from its phones on sale in China and China’s global TV network broadcasting forced confessions in flagrant violation of UK broadcasting regulations. Meanwhile, China continues to incarcerate perhaps one million of its own citizens in concentration camps on largely racial grounds, with minimal Western reaction. A book that exposes how China secures Western acquiescence in its transgressions of international norms is therefore surely overdue.

• Tags: China, Clive Hamilton, Issue 20, Mareike Ohlberg, Michael Reilly