Book binds Zuckerberg to Xi Jinping

Moreover, since China's reform and opening-up have led to rapid urbanization and modernization in the country, people need more extensive reading and regular consultation with China-based scholars to understand their importance and effectiveness.

By reading and ordering copies of The Governance of China, Zuckerberg has given a timely prod to all those in need of an insight into contemporary China. That does not mean ancient China should be forgotten. Those keen to understand the real China should also submerge themselves in the wealth of Chinese history, culture and literature.

Perhaps Zuckerberg's next read could be The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of four ancient classics of Chinese literature, which charts the tripartite nature of China from AD220 to 280.

But most of all, Zuckerberg and all businesspeople seeking access to the Chinese market need open-minded and indefatigable industriousness to understand the progress made by the country under the Communist Party of China. The Governance of China is an essential starting point for Zuckerberg and the others, but it is just that: the starting point of a journey into a 5,000-year-old civilization.

Rather than been derided, Zuckerberg should be applauded for setting a clear path for others to follow in their attempt to understand the real China and the tremendous transformation in the lives and experiences of the Chinese people.

About 600 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty since the early 1980s. Zuckerberg and other businesspeople who want to do business in China will have a lot of learning to do to understand how Chinese leaders have achieved such a miracle.

The author is a visiting professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing and a senior lecturer in marketing at the School of Business, Southampton Solent University.