China’s regulatory crackdown on a range of sectors — big tech, real estate, the online education and gaming industries — has provided a sobering reminder that business cannot be separated from politics in the PRC. Dubbed the ‘Red New Deal’ in some Anglophone media, this re-tightening of the reins is evidence both of the influence that Xi Jinping’s government exerts over the private sector and also its belief that it needs to bring it further under control in order to maintain stability and power. This round-up of the most essential China books from the last two months covers a reading list that adds much-needed depth to the headlines. Topping the list is the book everyone has been talking about: Desmond Shum’s Red Roulette, which chronicles the corrupt intersection of China’s business and political elites, as excerpted at The Wire (whose editor David Barboza originally reported the scandal it centers on for The New York Times). Further down, political realities