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Publisher Oneworld has said it has made a "robust" response to legal objections from the 48 Group Club concerning its forthcoming book Hidden Hand: How the Chinese Communist Party is Reshaping the World by Australian academic Clive Hamilton and Mareike Ohlberg of the German Marshall Fund.
The 48 Group Club is a body that advocates forging stronger UK ties and trade with China, and includes former Conservative deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine as a member.
Hidden Hand is described by the publisher as a "landmark study" which combines "meticulous research with unique insights". Oneworld says: "Hidden Hand exposes the Chinese Communist Party's global programme of subversion, and the threat it poses to democracy. We have already missed too many warning signs — now it is time to wake up."
In a statement to the Times about Hidden Hand, the 48 Group Club board said they were concerned about claims made in the book. The board said: “The 48 Group Club is not in any sense a vehicle for Beijing. It is an independent body promoting understanding of China and positive Sino-British relations, which we believe to be in the UK’s national interest. Any suggestion to the contrary is quite false.”
Oneworld publisher Novin Doostdar said the company had received letters from London law firm Druces, which is representing the 48 Group Club, and Stephen Perry, the club's chair.
"They have referred to several sentences in the book which they claim are incorrect or defamatory," he told The Bookseller. "We have taken legal advice on the matter and along with the authors, have produced a detailed and robust response to the objections raised. We do not agree with their claims that the book contains defamatory material and have notified them to this effect.
"Based on the legal advice we have received, the publication of this important book will go ahead as planned and the book will be released in the UK and the United States in August. The book presents a careful analysis by two highly respected academics in the field and we feel it is vital for free speech not to be curtailed by interest groups who may disagree with or wish to suppress some of the book’s arguments. This is a timely book on a matter of public interest."
Oneworld holds the rights to publish the book in both the UK and US.
The book has already been published in print and e-book in Germany, and is understood to have sold approximately 18,000 copies since May 2020. It was released in Australia by Hardie Grant. The UK and US publication date has been brought forward from September to 6th August.