America Against America () is a nonfiction book written by Chinese political scientist Wang Huning, who is currently one of the seven members of Politburo Standing Committee and also the chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, about his experiences as a visiting scholar to the United States in 1988.
Synopsis The book discusses Wang's experiences as a six-months visiting scholar in the United States. The first three months at the University of Iowa, three weeks at the University of California, Berkeley, then visiting about 20 universities within 30 cities. The book talks about the increasing challenges he saw in the U.S., such as inequality, economic conflicts, decaying of social values and commodification. He also praised the strengths of the U.S., such as its modernity, and peaceful transitions of power, and was described by The Economist as "seeing the weaknesses in America's system, but not exaggerating them". In Wang's own words:
Wang also discussed Japan's rise in the 1980s, contrasting its system with that of the United States. The Financial Times states:
Reception In 2021, the book received renewed interest in the aftermath of the storming of the United States Capitol, with some used copies surging to 16,600 yuan ($2,500) on antiques sites. In 2025, the Financial Times stated, "A book published more than 30 years ago by a close confidant of Xi Jinping now looks uncannily prescient."
See also
Political Life
References