Is China’s ascendance to world leadership an unstoppable force or a challenge we can overcome? Axios reporter Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian's recent book, Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World, looks to help answer that question. For several decades Chinese ascendancy has been supported by an astonishingly broad and deep portfolio of quiet coercion. The stories are breathtaking – Chinese-sponsored reporting in national newspapers and academia; the gagging of sports stars and huge Western brands; Hollywood self-censorship; utilisation of private companies for surveillance. Joining Allen-Ebrahimian in conversation is Intelligence Squared's Conor Boyle. 

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