Sam Kaplan has worked with and in China for over thirty years in a variety of roles. As president of the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, he organized numerous trade and business missions to China and hosted countless delegations, business people, and government officials from China. He was a key member of the host committees for the visits of both President Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping to Seattle. He publishes a weekly e-newsletter, International Need to Know, and has been published in a variety of publications, including the World Bank's Urban Age magazine. Kaplan lives in the Seattle area.
We should be worried, the new world power order may depend on China, or rather the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In fact, we are a little late in the face of a situation that should have triggered alerts perhaps since 2012, when Xi Jinping assumed power with a clearly authoritarian profile and an expansionist agenda. This is one of the reference points around which Sam Kaplan, author of Challenging China (Tuttle, 2021), offers a comprehensive study to understand the geopolitical context and analyze strategies to deal with China in the Xi Jinping era. However, despite reviewing the advantages with which the Asian giant runs, the book is an invitation to think with intelligence and perspective. Kaplan starts at home; he says the US must be and prove to be more successful and exemplary in every way. He must also seek and consolidate alliances, especially with those with whom he shares concerns, such as the European Union, who also condemn the theft of intellectual property, the lack of transparency in contracts and, in general, protectionist policies that make relations with China very difficult. --ElCato.org, the Spanish website of the Cato Institute Informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, Challenging China: Smart Strategies for Dealing with China in the Xi Jinping Era is exceptionally well written, organized, and presented, making it an ideal and essential addition to community, corporate, governmental, college, and university library Contemporary International Chinese/American studies collections.-Midwest Book Review [Kaplan] combines first-hand experience with detailed research into the aims of China's expansionism and offers a road map for the United States to respond and prosper. --Nor Coquillard, Executive Director, Washington State China Relations Council In Challenging China, Sam Kaplan provides a richly detailed, compelling essay on [Chinese leadership's] growing penchant toward authoritarianism, its impact on the people of China and its relations with the U.S. This book is a must-read, whether your focus is on China's military, its economy, Taiwan, Tibet, and/or its relationship with the U.S. --Joe Borich, Former Consul General of U.S. Consulate in Shanghai, Former President of Washington State China Relations Council It's never been more difficult--or more necessary--for the world to find the right balance in how to approach China. While there are many areas where the west must rightfully challenge China, there are also many others that require collaboration if we are to avoid out right hot conflict. Sam has done a good job threading the needle between the challenges and opportunities, and in so doing, provides readers with a useful set of insights that can and should shape policy and political decisions. --Benjamin Shobert, Author Blaming China: It Might Feel Good But It Won't Fix America's Economy Sam's book is a timely reminder that our country's greatest tools to meet any challenge from China include what we do to invest in our own competitive advantage, the promotion of human rights and working with other countries. Easy to read for folks who want an introduction to the current state of U.S.-China relations with plenty of heft for the serious China watcher. --Rick Larsen, Member of Congress