This book provides a systematic and comprehensive analysis and overview of China’s foreign policy since 1949. It starts with constructing an analytical framework for explaining Chinese foreign policy and then, on the basis of that, outlines and analyzes developments in different areas of foreign policy – such as security policy, international economic policy and policy toward multilateralism – and foreign policy toward different areas of the world – such as the United States, East Asia, Europe and developing countries. The book also examines decision-making in Chinese foreign policy, discusses issues of current concern, including maritime disputes, Xi Jinping’s more assertive approach to foreign policy, the One Belt One Road initiative and the trade war with the United States. The book concludes with a comparative analysis of the three phases of China’s foreign policy since 1949 and provides a brief assessment of how China’s foreign policy is likely to develop going forward.

Kevin G Cai is a Professor at Renison University College of the University of Waterloo, Canada