Science writer Philip Ball's new book The Water Kingdom: A Secret History of China. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A British writer tells Andrew Moody how this vital resource has shaped Chinese life and culture for centuries.

Science writer Philip Ball believes water has played a determining role in shaping China's destiny.

This is the central thesis of his new book, The Water Kingdom: A Secret History of China, which examines the country's long history through the prism of this vital aspect of its physical geography.

"China has had to develop a relationship with water that is unparalleled. You have a combination of factors that you don't see anywhere else in the world," he says.

"You have places like Bangladesh, where there is a constant risk of extreme flood and the Middle East, where there are always problems of water shortage but China has to deal with both."

Ball, 54, who was speaking outside the British Library near St Pancras in central London, makes the case that water is not just a matter of survival but an influence on many other aspects of Chinese life.

"What I hope is that by narrowing the focus to this particular window, it enables you to tell an extraordinary and surprisingly amount, about not just Chinese history but politics, culture, art, philosophy and language even."