How will China attempt to dominate 21st century geopolitics: through charm or aggression? Xi Jinping’s recent exhortation to “create a credible, lovable and respectable image of China” suggests that the ‘Wolf Warrior’ model of bellicose diplomacy may be falling out of favor. Yet rising nationalism and revanchist fervor are likely to hold a strong influence over China’s foreign relations for a while yet, as our top pick this month suggests. On the shortlist are a spate of new books that bring nuance to other big issues: How has the Communist Party kept power for so long? Is an intra-Party coup possible? Is China manipulating anti-trust law? And what is China’s overall strategy?  Meanwhile, if China is playing the long game, then it surely doesn’t hurt to revisit the cultural history of its most successful strategy game: mahjong. The tiles are on the table, but the prize is still up for grabs. The One to Read China’s Civilian Army: The Making of Wol