China Resurrected

A history of China's geopolitical evolution from 1840 to the present, tracing its rise from the Opium Wars to an emerging world power. A history of China's geopolitical evolution from 1840 to the present, tracing its rise from the Opium Wars to an emerging world power.

China''s rise to world superpower is seemingly a modern phenomenon, but it has a long history. This book follows China''s geopolitical transformation on the world stage, from struggling to defend herself against the British in the Opium Wars, to rivalling the United States for supremacy. What started as a response to Europe''s colonial influence has gradually become China''s quest to take the leading role on the word stage. But how did this happen? And why did it take so long? The answer to these questions lie in how China has shaped, and been shaped by, its changing relationships with major world powers over the last two centuries. Arguing that a series of military defeats in the Opium Wars, Boxer Crisis and Japanese occupation led to a deep-rooted national sense of geopolitical vulnerability, van der Putten shows how this imbalance of power has resulted in Chinese distrust and uncertainty, even after it ceased to be prey to imperialist powers. Tracing China''s foreign relations over the last 180 years, China Resurrected shows how they have influenced the way in which China itself is becoming a leading power, and what this means for modern diplomacy, understanding and stability.

Autorentext

Frans-Paul van der Putten

Klappentext

A history of China's geopolitical evolution from 1840 to the present, tracing its rise from the Opium Wars to an emerging world power.

Inhalt

Preface

Introduction

1. Under attack (1840-1842)
2. New realities (1842-1912)
3. Entering the world stage (1912-1925)
4. Emancipation (1925-1943)
5. From Big Four to Big Three (1943-1979)
6. Wait and Observe (1979-2008)

7. Confrontation (2008-2024)
   Epilogue

   Endnotes
   Selected Bibliography