Book reviews 249
1890s. It then moves on to Kang’s disciple Liang Qichao and his formulation of a ‘citi-
zen-state’ at the turn of the 20th century. Chapter 3 examines Liang’s turn to ‘statism’
after 1903 and situates it in relation to the influx of Western political theories since the
late 19th century. The next chapter on the conservatives investigates how the moderate
Zhang Zhidong and the reactionary Hunan clique responded to the reform movement and
how they postulated their defence of the imperial system. The revolutionary side of the
story starts from Chapter 5, which considers the roles of racial discourse, revived mem-
ory, and historicized identity in anti-Manchu politics. Chapter 6 is devoted to the revolu-
tionaries’ political polemics, and covers their writing on a broad range of topics from
republicanism to socialism. The book ends with two chapters on post-imperial history.
Chapter 7 uses the civil and state rituals of the young republic to illustrate how the daily
life of citizens as well as the state’s representation of itself changed in a world without
the emperor. Finally, Chapter 8 discusses the irreversibility of the abolition of the impe-
rial system by looking at the failed attempts at restoration in the early republic.
The book’s major contribution is to place political thought back in the centre of the
study of late-Qing history. In the past two decades, social and cultural historians and
literary scholars have been the driving force in expanding our knowledge of the period
immediately before 1911. Zarrow’s book reminds us that there was an important concep-
tual context that informed developments in the late Qing. Political decision-making
became difficult at that time exactly because the fundamental concepts underlying sov-
ereignty, power, and politics were called into question. This emphasis on conceptual
changes, however, does not mean that other aspects of history are overlooked. Rather,
Zarrow demonstrates the interaction between ideas and other historical forces, and
engages the findings and methodologies of social history and cultural studies. Zarrow’s
discussion of the importation of Western theories in the 1870s–90s therefore includes a
proper acknowledgement of the complex issues involved in translation, and his analysis
of conservative politicians pays special attention to the relationship between their social
milieu and their specific psychology. Overall, the book is exemplary in incorporating the
most up-to-date English and Chinese secondary literature. Zarrow cites and engages with
the field’s most significant research of the past 20 years and provides a very useful bib-
liography. The solid scholarship makes After Empire an informative and rewarding read
for both scholars and students of modern Chinese history and for those who are inter-
ested in the rise of political modernity in general.
George Eberling, Chinese Energy Futures and Their Implications for the United States.
Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2011; xiii + 181 pp. with notes, selected bibliography,
index, appendices, tables and figures: 9780739165683, US$60.00 (hbk)
Reviewed by: Eva Sternfeld, Berlin Institute of Technology, Germany
In the past decade, China’s impressive economic performance has been accompa-
nied by unprecedented growth in the consumption of primary energy resources.
When it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, the country’s energy demand
was only half that of the United States, and only 10 years later it surpassed the
250 China Information 27(2)
world’s leading energy consumer. In Chinese Energy Futures and Their Implications
for the United States, George Eberling examines the competition for resources, the
direction it might take, and the possible implications for future Sino-US relations.
The cover photo showing oil-well pumpjacks hints at the book’s major focus. The
more general title is somewhat misleading, so readers should not expect too much
information about the future of coal and renewable and nuclear energy resources.
The book’s main focus is the Chinese petroleum industry and trade and its pros-
pects. Already importing half of its oil demand, China has become the world’s num-
ber two oil-importing country after the United States. Up to 80 per cent of China’s
imported oil originates from the same countries and regions that supply oil to the
United States.
In his policy analysis George Eberling takes a close look at China’s future needs for
imported oil and how this will influence Sino-US relations in terms of security poli-
cies. He constructs three different scenarios for China’s oil futures and examines the
possible impacts on different oil-producing regions in the world. The first scenario, a
scenario of competitive dependency, is based on the present situation: China imports
oil to sustain economic growth and competes with the United States for global oil sup-
plies. The second scenario is a competitive surplus scenario: it assumes that China’s
fuel-saving policies and technological innovation (such as new technologies and con-
cepts of mobility) will result in a decrease in oil consumption and an increase in pro-
duction. China and its neighbouring countries are still engaged in a competition for the
exploitation of oil resources in the South China Sea. The third scenario assumes a
cooperative surplus situation where China predominantly relies on domestically pro-
duced oil and cooperates with its neighbouring countries in the development of
resources of South China. In all three scenarios Eberling looks at the political and
security impacts and implications for different oil-producing regions of the world
(Asia Pacific, Central Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa,
Western Europe, and the Western Hemisphere).
Eberling concludes that the competitive dependency scenario is the most likely
scenario, which raises the possibility that China’s energy insecurity could fuel global
insecurity. Reading the book, one may ask if it is sufficient to look at only one
dimension of the problem (China’s demand), and assume that the United States
remains in a stable situation. However, the situation on the US side might change.
For example, the recently published World Energy Outlook 2012 (Paris: International
Energy Agency, 2012) predicts a drastic decrease in US oil imports by 2030. The
strength of George Eberling’s book is that it provides for those interested in national
and international security policies plenty of detailed information about the regional
impacts of the international competition for resources. One shortcoming is that most
of the statistical data are outdated. For a print edition dating 2011 one would at least
expect an analysis covering the past decade. The graphs showing China’s daily oil
consumption (Fig. 1. 1) and oil consumption, transportation, and population
(Fig. 1.2) use data until 2004 and 1998, respectively. In sum, the book is suitable for
readers interested in policy scenarios. However, it has certain limitations with respect
to the analysis and implications of the challenges facing China in meeting its energy
needs.
