File photo of Chinese writer Mai Jia. [Photo by Long Wei/Asianewsphoto]

The English magazine The Economist announced the best books of the year with Chinese writer Mai Jia's novel, Decoded, on the list.

The best books recommended by the magazine were divided into six categories, including politics, biography, history, economics, culture and fiction. Mai Jia's Decoded was listed in the fiction category.

The evaluation of the novel by the magazine is as follows: At last, a fine Chinese novel that holds its own as a work that book-lovers with no special knowledge of China will relish. By a former member of the intelligence services, Decoded stands out for its pace and for the sheer novelty of the tale it tells.

The other best books were about the South China Sea, the fall of the Berlin Wall, Kaiser Wilhelm II, the publishing of Ulysses and capitalism in the 21st century.

The English version of the espionage novel Decoded was published and released in 21 countries by Penguin Classics in this March. It is the first contemporary work of Chinese fiction to be published by the company.