America Against America

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Wikipedia

America Against America
AuthorWang Huning
Original title美国反对美国
LanguageMandarin Chinese
GenrePolitics
PublisherShanghai Literature and Art Publishing House
Publication date
1991
Publication placeMainland China
Media typePrint

America Against America (Chinese: 美国反对美国; pinyin: Měiguó fǎnduì měiguó) is a nonfiction book written by Chinese political scientist Wang Huning about his experiences as a visiting scholar in the United States in 1988.

Synopsis

The book discusses Wang's experiences as a six-months visiting scholar in the United States. The first three months at the University of Iowa, three weeks at the University of California, Berkeley, then visiting about 20 universities within 30 cities.[1][2]

The book talks about the increasing challenges he saw in the U.S., such as inequality, economic conflicts, decaying of social values and commodification.[3] He also praised the strengths of the U.S., such as its modernity,[4] and peaceful transitions of power,[5] and was described by The Economist as "seeing the weaknesses in America's system, but not exaggerating them".[6] In Wang's own words:

My intention with this title is to show that America contains contradictions that cannot be dismissed with a single sentence. In the old days, people had a dogmatic view of American society as merely the "exploitation of surplus value," a "dictatorship of the bourgeoisie," and nothing more. Now there is another extreme, some people imagine the United States as a paradise, rich and without flaw. In fact American society doesn't match either of these descriptions, and often finds itself in fundamental contradiction with them. There are strengths and weaknesses, and wherever strength can be found, weakness can also be found. America is a contradiction, it contains multitudes. This is what I mean by "America Against America."[7]

Wang also discussed Japan's rise in the 1980s, contrasting its system with that of the United States. The FT states:

“Wang was not surprised by Japan’s success, observing that the “American system which is generally based on individualism, hedonism and democracy, is clearly losing out to a system of collectivism, self-forgetfulness and authoritarianism”. But he did not buy the idea of Japan as Number One, the title of another popular book of the time. As he correctly observed, Japan lacked the resources and territory to surpass the United States. On the other hand, Japan he predicted would only be the first nation to challenge the US: “In the next century more nations are bound to challenge the United States as well. It is then that Americans will truly reflect on their politics, economy and culture.” He does not need to spell out which nations — or nation — he has in mind.”[8]

Reception

In 2021, the book received renewed interest in the aftermath of the storming of the United States Capitol, with some used copies surging to 16,600 yuan ($2500) on antiques sites.[9] In 2025, the Financial Times stated “A book published more than 30 years ago by a close confidant of Xi Jinping now looks uncannily prescient.”[10]

References

  1. ↑ Xiao, Hong (1 July 2014). "王沪宁: 从学者走入决策层" [Wang Huning: From Scholar to the Decision-Making Level]. Golden Autumn Magazine (金秋杂志). Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  2. ↑ Yi, Wang (6 November 2017). "Meet the mastermind behind Xi Jinping's power". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  3. ↑ Lyons, N.S. (11 October 2021). "The Triumph and Terror of Wang Huning". Palladium. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Chang, Che (21 March 2022). "How a Book About America's History Foretold China's Future". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "The flaws that China's chief ideologue found in America". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  6. ↑ "Wang Huning's career reveals much about political change in China". The Economist. 12 February 2022. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "America Against America". 22 September 2023. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  8. ↑ Rachman, Gideon. "China's vision of America". www.ft.com. Archived from the original on 15 Aug 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  9. ↑ "A $2,500 Book on U.S. Decline Is Suddenly a Must-Read in China". Bloomberg News. 13 January 2021. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  10. ↑ Rachman, Gideon. "China's vision of America". www.ft.com. Archived from the original on 15 Aug 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-09.