Engineers of the Soul: Ideology in Xi Jinping's China by John Garnaut

Regular Sinocism readers are no doubt familiar with John Garnaut, one of the top journalists covering China before he joined the Australian government, first as a speech writer for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and then as a China policy advisor. John led the Australian government’s analysis of and response to PRC/CCP interference and influence efforts in the country, and his work has since had significant influence in other Western capitals. 

John is now out of government and has allowed me to share with you a speech he gave at an internal Australian government seminar in August 2017.

I knew John a little in Beijing and besides having tremendous respect for his work, and especially his access to Princelings at a level I am not sure any other foreign correspondent has ever had, I always found him to be a reasoned and thoughtful chronicler of the PRC. 

Some now say he has become a China hawk, but I see it as more the evolution of a sophisticated China watcher who believes in seeking tru…