I picked this book up recently in its new paperback edition, to do some research for an article. A Great Wall deals with one of the crucial issues of our day: Sino-US relations. It is a fly-on-the-wall insight into some of the great misunderstandings that have happened over the years between the two.
Tyler is a hardened journalist – and in the best tradition of US reporting has got access to vast numbers of sensitive documents and spoken to the people who shaped events.
The book begins with the Kissinger-Nixon-Mao era and ends with Clinton. It offers a fascinating look at the “human” side of foreign policy. It is full of the events that go on beyond the dull communiques, and it gets into the behind-closed-doors conversations, such as:
“If we do that,” said Rope, “we are going to get caught.”
“No, we won’t,” Haig said.
“Yes, we will,” countered Rope. “They’ll see through it.”
“No, they won’t,” steamed Haig. “They won’t be able to tell the difference.”
“Yes they will,” Rope said. “They can get a picture of it in Jane’s,” referring to the universal guide to worldwide military equipment.
“No they won’t,” Haig disparaged.
“Yes they will and if they don’t, they have friends who will help them to see through it,” Rope persisted.
“Who?” Haig asked.
“Holbrooke for one,” Rope said, not knowing whether Haig was aware that the former assistant secretary had tutored Zhang Wenjin on the history of the fighter jet decision in the Carter administration.
What is good about this book is that while it is very US-centric, the author is expert enough on Chinese affairs to give the Sino perspective. For example on Taiwan he quotes the following meeting: “Huang invited Haig to recall how poisonously Lincoln had regarded the sale of British weapons to the Confederacy during the American Civil War. American weapon sales to Taiwan, Huang said, were viewed similarly.”
There are also some great insights into the Soviet Union. The most incredible single paragraph in the book is the following:
“Brezhnev was not a gifted diplomat but he knew what he wanted. During a break in negotiations with Kissinger’s team, Brezhnev followed Hal Sonnenfeldt into the men’s room, and while Sonnenfeldt stood at the urinal, Brezhnev grabbed his briefcase stuffed with top secret documents and ran out, setting off a frantic chase by the startled aide and American security officers to retrieve it.”
Obviously, this is not explicitly a business book. But for anyone doing any sort of business in China, I would highly recommend it.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewed by Steven Irvine
