This balanced and thoughtful book presents a thorough analysis of the dynamics of China’s foreign relations. Sebastian Heilmann and Dirk H. Schmidt provide a comprehensive and discriminating view of the complex, often competing factors (domestic influences, regional tensions, global uncertainties) that shape Chinese foreign policy. They portray the PRC as a land of multiple identities—a nation that is becoming more assertive in East Asia as it explores novel approaches to its foreign economic policies, while simultaneously displaying thin-skinned sensitivities when confronted with international criticism. The authors argue that unconventional approaches to foreign relations—in particular a unique combination of long-term strategies with multilevel policy experiments—are driving Chinese global expansion. The provocative and challenging final chapter, designed to spur discussion, considers China’s imperial identity warring against the decentralized activities conducted in the “shadow of the empire.” Illicit transnational “guerilla-like” networks have thus become powerful driving forces behind the continued development of China’s foreign policy as well as its foreign-trade relations. The authors contend that the activities of these “niche nomads,” with their largely invisible or chameleon-like presence, constitute the most alarming dimension of China’s foreign relations as they gain ground and resources in many parts of the world with the potential to shake the very foundations of other societies.

"This excellent book offers an outstanding overview of China's international relations, going beyond conventional analyses of its 'peaceful rise.' Heilmann and Schmidt thoughtfully examine a huge amount of information on China's foreign economic and security policy, challenging the 'Cold War-era mentality' of the Western academic literature on China's foreign relations. The book shows that instead of becoming a market-based, democratic power, tightly integrated in the Western-dominated global order, China is challenging this order with its own concepts of order, even if it engages in substantive cooperation with the US and the EU. The first part examines China's foreign policy objectives, the foreign policy decision-making process, the changes in China's foreign policy after the adoption of structural economic reforms in 1979, China's security, environmental, and international human rights policy, and its spectacular rise to the top level of the global economy in less than 30 years. The second discusses the potential for armed conflict over the status of Taiwan, and China's relations with Japan, North and South Korea, the US, and the EU. . . .Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and research collections." - CHOICE

"Heilmann and Schmidt’s clear and objective style makes this book indeed a welcome addition to a literature where authors often tend to make sweeping judgments and where the global economy is presented as a zero-sum game. The book provides a concise and comprehensive overview of China’s international relations that is accessible to non-expert readers. It covers an impressive scope of topics ranging from traditional foreign policy issues over security policy and international economic relations to the challenges of climate change. . . . The individual chapters can be read independently, making the book a useful handbook on the issues concerned. . . .Yet even though China continues to change rapidly, Heilmann and Schmidt ably identify and describe the long-term trends in China’s foreign political and economic relations, and that makes the book more than a mere snapshot. The authors clearly know what they are writing about and present a balanced assessment of the state of China’s foreign affairs. Overall, this is an excellent reading to familiarize oneself with the major trends in China’s foreign political and economic relations. The book provides a wealth of information and references that will make it a worthwhile read also for those who consider themselves ‘China experts.’" - China Quarterly

"A timely book presenting a uniquely European perspective on its subject, China's Foreign and Economic Relations is a must-read for experts and non-experts alike." - Survival: Global Politics and Strategy