China Can Say No () is a 1996 Chinese language non-fiction manifesto written and edited by Song Qiang, Zhang Zangzang (whose original name is Zhang Xiaobo), Qiao Bian, Tang Zhengyu, and Gu Qingsheng. It was published in China and strongly expresses Chinese nationalism. Its full title is often translated as The China That Can Say No: Political and Emotional Choices in the post Cold-War era. It became an overnight bestseller, as the authors called on the Beijing government to stand up against the United States in a new era of global competition. In addition the book bashes Japan for defection from Asia in favor of an American connection. The popularity indicates the growth of anti-American and anti-Japanese sentiment in the Chinese public. It indicates disillusionment among many younger and better educated Chinese as the nation searches for a major role in the global economic and political systems. The Beijing government originally endorsed the general thesis, but after sharp criticism from the United States and Asia, the government condemned the book as an irresponsible source of confusion, and banned it from circulation.
Background
Context
At the time the book was published, the Chinese government, intellectuals, and the general public were becoming increasingly hostile towards what they viewed as unfair treatment by the United States and efforts by the US to isolate China.
Most of the authors came from modest backgrounds and had no connection to either the Chinese government or its liberal opponents.
The book also focuses on Japan. It describes Japan of being a client state of the US, contends that Japan should not get a seat on the United Nations Security Council, and supports a renewed call for war reparations to China from Japan for its actions in the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Song Qiang's section of the book, The Death of Heaven's Mandate and the Coming of a New Order, is an autobiographical account of Song's development from a naïve pro-American student to a Chinese patriot. It has been translated into eight languages.
Sequel
A series of Say No sequels followed, including How China can Say No, Why China Can Say No, and China Can Still Say No.