Now in its second edition, China and the World since 1945 offers an accessible introduction to China’s foreign policy and diplomatic history across a broad chronology.

After the ‘century of humiliation’, China was in constant search of a new identity on the world stage, which significantly changed the way the nation defined itself and its role in the world. The book traces developments in China’s relations with the two superpowers, Asian neighbours, Third World countries, and European powers, examining China’s role in modern globalization and the international community. It also considers the influence of domestic politics and ideology on China’s international relations. Fully revised and updated with the latest scholarship, the second edition includes a new chapter on China’s foreign relations under Xi Jinping’s administration, including the reassertion of China as a Communist state, identification with the Global South, and the ‘New Cold War’ with the United States as both powers grapple for global influence.

By examining the rise of China from a long-term historical perspective, this concise yet comprehensive study will be essential to scholars and students of Chinese history and contemporary international relations.

Chi-kwan Mark is Senior Lecturer in International History at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is the author of Hong Kong and the Cold War: Anglo-American Relations, 1949–1957 (2004), The Everyday Cold War: Britain and China, 1950–1972 (2017), and Decolonisation in the Age of Globalisation: Britain, China and Hong Kong, 1979–89 (2023).