China’s Expanding Sphere of Influence
Edited by George Washington University sinologist David Shambaugh, this is a mosaic of China’s evolving place in world affairs constructed by leading experts from across the US and Europe. Offering balanced and informed analyses of topics from traditional ones such as China’s relations with great powers to cross-cutting issues such as global governance and multilateralism, it should work well as primer for diplomats, professionals and students alike.
There is no central thesis per se, beyond the selfevident trend of China’s expanding global influence. Early chapters by Odd Arne Westad and Chas Freeman give deep context, explaining how imperial traditions and authoritarian legacies shape Chinese political behavior today. Peter Gries offers one of the freshest chapters, on the social origins and constraints on Chinese foreign policy through the lens of popular nationalism. Leading experts in their fields, Zhao Suisheng discusses the making of foreign policy, and Barry Naughton offers a full yet succinct picture of the Chinese economy in a global context.
Many authors wrestle with China’s effort at generating global “soft power,” and Shaun Breslin has an especially interesting account of how Beijing has fashioned “counter-narratives” on a global level. The section on relations with major powers is the most conventional part of the book, but a necessary one. Unfortunately, very few Asia-based experts are included, or indeed any voices from within China itself.
Global Asia.