Includes bibliographical references (p. 251-253).

Even a beast like a thousand-pound ox must lower its head to drink -- A tree may grow to a thousand feet, but the leaves still return to their roots -- When the horse has reached the edge of the cliff, it's too late to draw on the reins -- Up in the sky there is paradise, but down on the Earth we have Hangzhou -- The first Chinese rule: how can we go so far as to change the regulations of the Celestial Empire at the request of one man? -- Sacrifice the plum tree in order to save the peach -- The second Chinese rule: the long-divided shall unite, the long-united shall divide -- Learn from the past; seek truth from facts -- The flowers on a liverwort may be as small as a grain of rice, but they still want to blossom like a peony -- The third Chinese rule: the art of war is of vital importance for the state and should on no account be neglected -- When Master Jiang hangs out his hook, it's the willing fish that gets caught -- Kill with borrowed knife -- The fourth Chinese rule: cross the river by feeling for the stones -- Who could say it was gain or loss when the old man lost his horse? -- The fifth Chinese rule: know yourself and know the other and you'll survive a hundred battles.

From the author of the acclaimed 'Mr China' comes another rip-roaring adventure story - part memoir, part history, part business imbroglio - that offers valuable lessons to help Westerners understand China.

In the twenty-first century, the world has tilted eastwards in its orbit; China grows confident while the West seems mired in doubt. Having lived and worked in China for more than two decades, Tim Clissold explains the secrets that Westerners can use to navigate through its cultural and political maze. Picking up where he left off in the international bestseller Mr. China, Chinese Rules chronicles his most recent exploits, with assorted Chinese bureaucrats, factory owners, and local characters building a climate change business in China. Of course, all does not go as planned as he finds himself caught between the world's largest carbon emitter and the world's richest man. Clissold offers entertaining and enlightening anecdotes of the absurdities, gaffes, and mysteries he encountered along the way. Sprinkled amid surreal scenes of cultural confusion and near misses, are smart myth-busting insights and practical lessons Westerns can use to succeed in China. Exploring key episodes in that nation's long political, military, and cultural history, Clissold outlines five Chinese Rules, which anyone can deploy in on-the-ground situations with modern Chinese counterparts. These Chinese rules will enable foreigners not only to cooperate with China but also to compete with it on its own terms.