Introduction

All eyes have been on China recently as the 20th Communist Party Congress drew to a close, and Xi Jinping was confirmed as leader for a historic third term. 

Joining us this episode to discuss the outcome of the congress and more is one of the UK’s leading academics on China, Kerry Brown. He's a prolific author, and started his career as a diplomat in the British embassy in Beijing in the 1990s. 

This show was recorded live in London about a week and a half ago in conjunction with the Lau Institute at King’s College, where Kerry is Professor of Chinese Studies.

We talked about two of his most recent books: firstly, Xi: A Study in Power, which looks at the rise of China’s leader and where his rule might be headed. 

And secondly, a fascinating collection that Kerry has put together with Gemma Chenger Deng called ‘China Through European Eyes’. In it, they take excerpts from writings on China by thinkers from Marco Polo to Voltaire, and Karl Marx to Simone de Beauvoir, looking at the ways in which they have interacted with and interpreted the country.