For other uses, see: East West

East West

-Conceptual use:*East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture*East–West Schism, the division of Chalcedonian Christianity into Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy-Books, journals and magazines:...

East and West (subtitled "China, Power, and the Future of Asia") is a 1998 book by the British politician Christopher Patten about his experiences as the last governor

Governor of Hong Kong

The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...

 of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

. In this book, he attempts to provide insights into the last years of British colonial rule in Hong Kong, and defends his decision of introducing the controversial representative democracy into the region. In the second part of the book he argues that some Asian economies had outgrown their political structures and reforms are needed for stability and economic growth. He further asserts that the so-called Asian values

Asian values

Asian values was a concept that came into vogue briefly in the 1990s to justify authoritarian regimes in Asia, predicated on the belief in the existence within Asian countries of a unique set of institutions and political ideologies which reflected the region's culture and history...

 are nothing more than a euphemism for legitimising the totalitarian regimes.

Patten's introduction of representative democracy into Hong Kong during his governorship induced scathing criticism from the Chinese authority and he was described by high-ranking Chinese officials as "whore of the East", a "serpent" and a "criminal who would be condemned for a thousand generations". Not surprisingly, the Chinese government did not welcome its publication and it is said that China's official distaste for Patten led his original publisher, HarperCollins, owned by Rupert Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch

Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....

, who is intent on expanding his business in China, to cancel publication. The book was finally published by Crown.

Overview

The book is divided into three sections. In the first section, titled "Governing", Patten recounts various important events that happened during his office as the last governor of Hong Kong from July 1992 to June 30, 1997. In particular, he describes how his proposal of electoral reforms in the Legislative Council

Legislative Council of Hong Kong

The Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...

 was met with criticisms from the Chinese government, and how he was personally denounced by high ranking officials using the "most extreme lexicon of the Cultural Revolution

Cultural Revolution

The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...

" as the "whore of the East", a "serpent" and a "criminal who would be condemned for a thousand generations". He also details China's tactics of using trade and access to its huge market to lobby Hong Kong businessmen and British politicians to exert pressure on him to back down. Patten argues that the success of Hong Kong is based on "a clean and open administration, the rule of law, public participation in government, a free press and respect for civil liberties." As such, China's hostility to democracy and advocacy of the so-called Asian values

Asian values

Asian values was a concept that came into vogue briefly in the 1990s to justify authoritarian regimes in Asia, predicated on the belief in the existence within Asian countries of a unique set of institutions and political ideologies which reflected the region's culture and history...

 would undermine the very foundation of Hong Kong's success.

In the second section, titled "In the view from Hong Kong", Patten first detailed and analyzed the rapid growth of the East Asian Tigers

East Asian Tigers

The Four Asian Tigers or Asian Dragons is a term used in reference to the highly developed economies of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. These nations and areas were notable for maintaining exceptionally high growth rates and rapid industrialization between the early 1960s and 1990s...

 and other Southeast Asian countries after the World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. He asserted that the growth was largely export-led and those Asian countries were benefactors of the early wave of globalization. The Asian financial crisis that began in late 1997, on the other hand, was the results of weak regulation of banks and wild speculations of the property markets in the involved countries; Since "a number of Asian economies had outgrown their political structures", they cannot adjust to the changes as smoothly and peacefully as other more representative forms of government.

Reception

The New York Times Book Review

The New York Times Book Review

The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely read book review publications in the industry. The offices are located near Times Square in New York...

describes East and West as a "spirited defense of his policies" and a "lucid analysis of some of the larger issues that confront the West in its dealings with Asia". The book is "fresh", "eloquent" and "unblinkered", and it "challenges some of the received wisdom on these subjects and marches with spirit and independence toward its conclusions". A review in Internal Affairs

International Affairs (journal)

International Affairs is Britain's leading peer-reviewed academic journal of international relations founded by Chatham House in 1924. It is published bi-monthly by Wiley-Blackwell . Currently its editor-in-chief is Caroline Soper...

, a leading peer-reviewed academic journal

Academic journal

An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...

 of international relations

International relations

International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...

, describes the book as an "articulate exposition" and contains "electric wit". The review concludes that the book "demonstrates how a coherent mix of engagement with China coupled with constraint on its unwelcome actions adds up to a practical China policy". On the other hand, China Daily

China Daily

The China Daily is an English language daily newspaper published in the People's Republic of China.- Overview :China Daily was established in June 1981 and has the widest print circulation of any English-language newspaper in the country...

, a Chinese Communist Party-controlled state-run publication, has a scathing review on the book. The paper calls Patten a "cold war warrior" and this book "completely exposes his anti-China obsessions". The review adds that the "retired governor has done everything he can to hurt the feelings of the Chinese people with extremely provocative language".