In 1986, Adrian Geiges visited the People’s Republic of China as the first representative of the Moscow-oriented West German Communists after decades of ideological fighting between the parties of both countries. He takes the reader with him on a fascinating journey full of contradictions into the China of that time.

The contrast couldn’t be greater: in Stuttgart enraged citizens protest against the construction of a railway station which has been in planning for 15 years; the Chinese jump-start whole megacities in the same time. In Berlin schools descend into chaos, whilst Shanghai achieves first place in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The formula for success was developed by a man who died 2500 years ago: Confucius. He promoted learning and discipline, which is exactly what counts in the today’s global competition. During the cultural revolution his followers were persecuted. Now his ideas are celebrating a comeback in China.

This book investigates the Chinese phenomenon, which will determine the outcome of the 21st century. For their exciting report the authors travelled to the biggest city in the world and to the Three Gorges Dam, visited Confucius Schools in Beijing and Hamburg, talked to Chinese leaders, thinkers and superstars. They examine China’s leadership transition in 2012 and the growing influence of microblogs, as apparent in the discussion surrounding the collision of two high-speed trains near Wenzhou and the death of a two-year-old girl in Foshan.

Contents

China on the Ascent, the West on the Descent

From Keeper of a Granary to World Philosopher – Confucius’ Career

Mao – the Red God

The New Policy of the Communists: Harmony instead of Class Struggle

Comeback of Confucius

PISA Shock and Tiger Mom

Operation Gold – How China Is Winning in Sports

In Space the Last Will Be the First

The Missionaries of Confucius in Europe

Get Rich with Confucius

From Workbench of the World to Bank of the World

Afghanistan – Grave of Two Superpowers, Birthplace of the Next

Chinese in Africa

Energy of Confucius

The Three Gorges Dam – Five Times Stronger than Fukushima

The Biggest City in the World

China’s Sexual Revolution

Confucius’ Children Fight Corruption

What the West Can Learn from Confucius

Two faces of an empire: Beijing, the capital in the North, and Shanghai, the former fishing village turned business centre and booming mega city. With humour and a wealth of information, Adrian Geiges gives us his uniquely personal take on the two rivals. What is the place to be for artists? Where does one find the most stylish women? What should one eat and where? Why do residents of Beijing purchase a car first, while people from Shanghai choose an apartment? What do the Olympics and Expo have in common, and how do they differ?