Piketty casts doubt on Chinese book release after censorship row

Paris (AFP) – French “rock star” economist Thomas Piketty said on Monday his latest book would probably not be released in China after the publisher demanded too many cuts.

His “Capital and Ideology” surveys the rapid rise of inequality around the world and includes attacks on the “plutocracy” of the Chinese regime, which he says has overtaken Western countries.

“In short, they want to remove all references to contemporary China, and in particular to inequality and transparency in China. I have refused these conditions, and indicated that I will only accept a full translation without any kind of cut,” Piketty told AFP by email.

His 2013 book “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” made him a global star in his field and sold hundreds of thousands of copies in China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has used his research on rising inequality in the United States and Europe as proof of the superiority of the Chinese communist model.

Piketty’s Chinese publisher Citic Press did not comment directly on his claims but told AFP the copyright of “Capital and Ideology” was still being negotiated.

“The other Chinese publishing houses in contact with my French publisher have indicated that they would also demand cuts, so at this stage it is likely that this book will not be published in mainland China,” Piketty said, confirming an earlier report in the South China Morning Post.