First published 2011
Henry Kissinger examines China's diplomatic history and strategic thinking from ancient times through the present day. The former Secretary of State draws from historical documents and his personal conversations with Chinese leaders across four decades to reveal how China has conducted foreign relations. Kissinger explores major episodes including early European encounters with China, the formation and collapse of the Sino-Soviet partnership, the Korean conflict, Nixon's groundbreaking Beijing visit, and Taiwan Strait tensions. He profiles influential figures like Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Deng Xiaoping, showing how their competing philosophies shaped modern China. The book traces sixty years of US-China relations from mutual hostility through strategic cooperation to economic partnership. Kissinger argues that China's approach to diplomacy emphasizes patience and indirect methods over direct confrontation, rooted in centuries as the dominant regional power. The book concludes by examining China's emerging role as a twenty-first century superpower and what this means for global politics.
Genres: history, international-relations, 20th-century, china, biography-memoir, 21st-century, academic, american-history
Vibes: informative, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-nonfiction, political-analysis, strategic-thinking
Setting: China, Europe, Korea, Soviet Union, Taiwan, United States
Period: Ancient Times, Cold War, Modern Era, Nixon Administration
608 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Press HC, The