年末年始にすぐ読めて中国の今が物凄くわかる本の紹介

「中国がわかった感」が感じられる本を紹介しつつ、中国は今後どうなりそうか?、そして日本及び諸外国はどう彼らと関わっていくべきか?について考えてみたい。
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歴史的「合意」に湧く日韓関係ですが、その背後でより大きな問題になっているのが中国ですよね。

ついこないだ日本を抜いて世界二位になったかと思えば、今や名目GDPでは日本の二倍を超える規模になり、しかし色んな意味で「お騒がせ」な存在であることは変わらず、東アジアの局地的な問題ではすまない全世界的に巨大な問題になっている。

たまたま今私が書いている本でも、全然中国関係の本じゃないのに、「中国のことについてのある程度の見通し」を持っておかないと書けないな・・・と思う部分があったので、色んな関係本をまとめて読むことになりました。

その中で、軽く読める本なのに、読む前と後とで全然違う「中国がわかった感」が感じられた本があったので、今回のブログはそれを紹介しつつ、中国は今後どうなりそうか?、そして日本及び諸外国はどう彼らと関わっていくべきか?について考えてみたいと思っています。

以下目次です。

1・中国を見る3つの視点の"3つめ"が案外大事

2・一枚岩でなくなった中国を、適切に「導く」関係構築を

3・「意識高くない系」の他人とのつきあい方について

では1つずつ見ていきます。

1・中国を見る3つの視点の"3つめ"が案外大事

いいからはやくその「"凄いわかった感"が得られる本」を紹介しろよ・・・というわけで、その本はこれです↓

これ、むっちゃ面白いし、でもなんか凄い「中国がわかった感」がありました。

この本は、香港で出ている「政治ゴシップ雑誌」を読むのがほとんどライフワークなんじゃないかという筆者が、中国共産党の権力争いの裏側について、色んな陰謀の現場を見てきたかのような筆致で書いてる本です。

でも、単なるゴシップに流れてる感じではなくて、中国の場合言論統制がキビシイので「こんな噂がネットに流れていて"検閲されずに残っているということ自体"が強烈なメッセージ」だったりするんですよね。

そういう意味で、「噂の真偽」が疑問な時はちゃんと疑問だと書きつつ、「そういう噂が流されているという現状」自体は情報として取り入れてそこから俯瞰的に読み解くみたいな感じで、しかも鄧小平(経済の改革開放を始めた人)以降の権力の移り変わりがかなり通史的に理解できるようになっていて、私の「見通し」は随分良くなりました。

権力者だけじゃなくて、権力者に群がる(まさにこのムラガルという表現がドンピシャな)中国の女性芸能人や、CCTV(中国の国営放送)の美人女性キャスターたちの愛憎劇まで、これまた見てきたかのように書いてて、それも凄いリアルで面白いです。

さて、ここまで本の説明をしてきて、俺は知的で硬派なデキルビジネスマンだぜ?そんな三流実話週刊誌みたいな切り口の本なんか、読めるかってんだよぉ〜と思ったアナタ!

正直私もそう思ってました。全然期待せずに、でもザザッと沢山中国関係の本を買った時に紛れ込んで買った感じで、読んだのも一番最後でした。

でもね、中国の場合、「この視点」を抜きにするのは良くないなって痛感したんですよ。

今回色々読んだ本の中で面白かったのをあげると、

まずこれね。

経済評論家で国際投資が専門の橘玲氏が、中国のあっちこっちの「強引に開発されて廃棄されたゴーストタウン」を訪ね歩いて、実際に自分が普段やっているように投資するとしたらという前提で利回りを計算したりしながら、「なぜ中国では、日本のバブル期にもここまでにはならなかったゴーストタウンが次々出来てしまっているのか」について分析するという本です。

面白そうですね?面白かったです。「なぜ」の理由が知りたい人は読みましょう。中国の地方政府に関する制度的なインセンティブ構造の分析から、合理的なロジックだけで書いてあってなかなか読ませます。

そしてもう一個面白かったのはこの本です。

これは、米国政府にかなり近い立場の(時にスパイ活動的な関わりもしていた)、中国専門家であるピルズベリー氏が、彼が実際に関わった毛沢東時代の米中国交正常化交渉の知られていない裏側なんかを紹介しながら、「国」単位で見た時のアメリカと中国のツバ競り合いの歴史とこれからの展望について書いた本です。

この本は、今までかなり中国に対して宥和的な人が多かった「アメリカにおける中国専門家業界」において、はじめて「中国を警戒するべき」という論調を明確にしたという意味で大きな画期となった本であるようです。

「アンチ中国」な心理の人からするとある時期まで米国の弱腰が歯がゆい気持ちだった人もいるかと思いますが、ここ最近、南シナ海に軍艦を航行させたり、「いつまでも中国に甘い米国ではないぞ」という態度を急にアメリカは示すようになり、「なんか風向きが変わったなあ」という印象の人も多いだろうと思います。その流れの中にある「本」というわけですね。

その「風向きの変化」が、日米関係だけでなく、今回の日韓関係の改善、そして中国政府が日本との関係改善を模索しはじめたこと・・・とも無関係ではないはずです。

さて、

A 橘玲氏の本のような、「経済の視点」

B ピルズベリー氏の本のような、「国家の視点」

は、硬派な知的ビジネスマン的に手にとっても恥ずかしくない内容であるように思いますし、実際読んだら勉強になります。

おそらく、米国を知りたいなら「A 経済」を、日本を知りたいなら「B 国家」を注目すると良いのかもしれません。その国の「近代化度合い」のようなものによって何が一番大事かが変わってくるというような。

しかし、中国の場合は、「C」の「権力闘争」の視点が入ってこないと、「AとB」だけではちょっとわからないことが多いんじゃないかと、私は今回思いました。

それは、ほとんど期待してなかった「C」を扱った福島さんの本を読んでいると「AとB」の視点の時には謎のまま残っていた部分が物凄くクリアーに見えてきたからです。

例えば、「A 経済」の視点から分析を進めていって、中国経済ってのは現状どれくらいヤバイのか?それとも持ちこたえ得るのか?という理解を深めるのは大事なことです。

しかし、将来のある時点で、「中国共産党政府」が、どんな政策を持ち出してくるのか・・・は、その「純粋に経済の視点」からはブラックボックスのままです。

共産党にも色んな人がいますから、かなりグローバルな良識と地続きな感覚で、徐々にオープンな市場運営を取り入れていこうとする派閥もいれば、逆にバシバシに統制して外資を狙い撃ちにバッシングして、国策で輸出をして・・・という派閥もいます。

今「どっちの派閥」が強くて、もし将来経済が不調になった時に、「どっちの派閥」が前面に出てきそうか?というのは、かなり「経済」の先行きに影響を与えるでしょうが、「純粋に経済だけ」の問題からはなかなか読み解けません。「読み解く」ことができなければ、「働きかける」ことはもっとできないでしょう。

また、「B 国」だけの話で見ても同じなのですが、ピルズベリー氏の本が・・・というか、その「本自体の影響力で何かが変わる」というより、「そういう本が出て話題になりえる米中関係の潮目の変化」が先にあって、結果としてそういう「本」が出てくるわけですよね。

でも、なぜかなり中国に対して宥和的な態度が多かった米国政界が、急に中国に対して強腰になる論調が増えてきたのか?という肝心なところは、「なんか理由はよくわからないけど風向きが変わっちゃったね」ぐらいにしかわかりません。

これも、「C」の視点が入ってくると「なるほど!」っていうような理解ができたりするんですよ(このブログの後半で触れさせてもらいます)。

だからね、恥ずかしがらず(でもゴシップって、実は読んだら楽しいんですよ人間の本能的にね)に、「C」の視点の本を読んでみるといいんじゃないかと思います。

近代化した国では、「C」の領域は一応あるっちゃあるけど、面白おかしくネタにするほどの影響力は実際にはないことが多いように思います。俺はアイツが嫌いだしぶっちゃけ敵だけど、今これをやらなくちゃいけないってことはわかってるから協力してやる・・・のが近代化した国のあり方です。

しかし、中国ではこの「C」こそが最も重要です。・・・なぜなら権力闘争に敗れた権力者は場合によりますが生きていられないことも多いからです。文字通り生きるか死ぬか。そりゃ真剣にもなります。自分個人が殺されるだけじゃなくて、一族郎党が社会的に抹殺されることもあるようです。

いつの時代の話やねん!・・・と思いますが、21世紀の話です。しかも国際線で数時間飛べば行けちゃう国の話です。

だからこそ、

A 経済

B 国家

C 権力闘争

の視点を加えると、「中国がわかった感」が一気に感じられるようになってくるわけです。

では、この記事の後半では、福島さんの本の内容のちょっとした紹介と、さっき書いた

「なぜ米中関係において米国は最近強く出られるようになったのか?(それが日米関係・日韓関係・日中関係にも大きな影響を与えているわけですよね)」

について読み解くと同時に、今後日本含め国際社会は中国とどう付き合うべきかについて考えてみます。

この「権力闘争」という視点を導入することによって見えてくる「新しい視界」をまとめると、以下の絵のようになります。

Open Image Modal

少し長くなっているのでハフィントンポストでは分割掲載されています。この詳しい話についての続きの記事まで 一気読みしたい方は私のブログでどうぞ。→コチラ

倉本圭造

経済思想家・経営コンサルタント

(当記事の絵や図は、ネットでの再利用自由です。議論のネタにしていただければと思います)

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People Celebrate The Spring Festival In China(29 of33)
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BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 18: People imitate temple worship ceremony of the Qing Dynasty at the Spring Festival Temple Fair for celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year of The Sheep at the Temple of Earth park on February 18, 2015 in Beijing, China. The Chinese Lunar New Year of The Sheep also known as the Spring Festival, which is based on the Lunisolar Chinese calendar, is celebrated from the first day of the first month of the lunar year and ends with Lantern Festival on the Fifteenth day. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) (credit:Lintao Zhang via Getty Images)
People Celebrate The Spring Festival In China(30 of33)
Open Image Modal
BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 18: People imitate temple worship ceremony of the Qing Dynasty at the Spring Festival Temple Fair for celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year of The Sheep at the Temple of Earth park on February 18, 2015 in Beijing, China. The Chinese Lunar New Year of The Sheep also known as the Spring Festival, which is based on the Lunisolar Chinese calendar, is celebrated from the first day of the first month of the lunar year and ends with Lantern Festival on the Fifteenth day. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) (credit:Lintao Zhang via Getty Images)
People Celebrate The Spring Festival In China(31 of33)
Open Image Modal
BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 18: Paramilitary police officers change clothes after performing temple worship ceremony at the Spring Festival Temple Fair for celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year of The Sheep at the Temple of Earth park on February 18, 2015 in Beijing, China. The Chinese Lunar New Year of The Sheep also known as the Spring Festival, which is based on the Lunisolar Chinese calendar, is celebrated from the first day of the first month of the lunar year and ends with Lantern Festival on the Fifteenth day. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) (credit:Lintao Zhang via Getty Images)
People Celebrate The Spring Festival In China(32 of33)
Open Image Modal
BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 18: Visitor passes the trees decorated with red lanterns at the Spring Festival Temple Fair for celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year of Sheep at the Temple of Earth park on February 18, 2015 in Beijing, China. The Chinese Lunar New Year of Sheep also known as the Spring Festival, which is based on the Lunisolar Chinese calendar, is celebrated from the first day of the first month of the lunar year and ends with Lantern Festival on the Fifteenth day. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) (credit:Lintao Zhang via Getty Images)
People Celebrate The Spring Festival In China(33 of33)
Open Image Modal
BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 18: A child playing under the trees decorated with red lanterns at the Spring Festival Temple Fair for celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year of Sheep at the Temple of Earth park on February 18, 2015 in Beijing, China. The Chinese Lunar New Year of Sheep also known as the Spring Festival, which is based on the Lunisolar Chinese calendar, is celebrated from the first day of the first month of the lunar year and ends with Lantern Festival on the Fifteenth day. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) (credit:Lintao Zhang via Getty Images)