This book presents a comprehensive exploration of China’s foreign policy evolution from the early twentieth century to the contemporary era. The intricate interplay between the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the global stage is meticulously traced, offering a nuanced understanding of China’s dynamic engagement with the world. With a detailed analysis spanning eight chapters, the book delves into the contextual factors that influenced CCP’s initial foreign policy ideas prior to the establishment of the People’s Republic. It systematically unravels the gradual development of these ideas during the Cold War era and unveils the fundamental and adaptive trajectories that have shaped China’s foreign policy landscape over the past three decades. Utilizing primary sources and academic texts, the book incorporates both Chinese and global perspectives to shed new light on the evolution of Chinese foreign policy thought, making it an invaluable contribution to the study of China’s global interactions. The authors uniquely bridge the gap between different stages of China’s foreign policy development across a centennial timeframe, offering an “organic” perspective on its growth, and their comprehensive analysis of China’s foreign policy “toolset” adds a distinctive dimension to existing knowledge. By steering clear of preconceived notions, the book delivers a well-rounded analysis of China’s foreign policy evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Table of contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Introduction: Challenges in Understanding the Development of Chinese Foreign Policy Thought<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Birth of the New China and the Renaissance of Chinese Foreign Policy Thought<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Peace, Cold War, and the Mannerist Turn of the Cultural Revolution<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Return of Peace and Development: Deng\u2019s Classicism<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Neoclassical Reaction: Peaceful Development<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The \u201cRomantic\u201d Phase in the Formation of Foreign Policy Thought<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Xi\u2019s Realism<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Closing Words: Challenges of the Present<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Great Return is a useful book for those who seek to understand China\u2019s evolving foreign policy. It is not a history book even though it refers at many points to China\u2019s historical encounter with the world from the Qing Dynasty to recent times. Unlike many western books on China\u2019s foreign policy, the book is not judgmental. The Croatian authors do not criticize what China did or prescribe what it should do. They seek instead to explain. They do this by often taking a Chinese perspective. Those who think that China is mysterious will find this book particularly helpful. There is an internal logic in the way the Chinese think and act which in fact make their behavior in the world quite predictable.\u201d (George Yeo, former Minister for Foreign Affairs and brigadier-general, Singapore) Authors and Affiliations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ivica Bakota, Zvonimir Stopi\u0107<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mato Njavro<\/p>\n\n\n\n About the authors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Ivica Bakota <\/strong>holds a master\u2019s degree in philosophy and comparative literature from the University of Zagreb (Croatia) and has completed a sinology bachelor\u2019s course in Zagreb and Ljubljana (Slovenia). He obtained his Ph.D. in international relations from Peking University (China). With a diverse academic background, Dr. Bakota has worked at the East European Research Center at Peking University and served as a non-resident fellow at the China-CEE Institute in Budapest. He has also conducted research at the Center for Study of Civilizations at Capital Normal University and collaborated with various Chinese and Croatian institutes and media outlets. Currently, Dr. Bakota holds the position of Assistant Professor at the History Department of Capital Normal University in Beijing and works as a researcher at the Institute of Global and Area Studies at CNU. He is a co-founder of the CroAsia Institute atthe Zagreb School of Economics and Management (Croatia), where he teaches several courses. He is proficient in Croatian, English, and Chinese, and his areas of expertise include the history of Chinese foreign relations, Sino-European relations, and political and social transformations in the (post-)socialist world. Dr. Bakota has authored the book \u201cSocial Transformations in ex-Yugoslav Countries\u201d published by World Knowledge Publishing Press in Beijing (2020) and co-authored the book \u201cThe Cold War and the Transformation of Socialism,\u201d Volume 8, published by Shanghai People\u2019s Press in Shanghai (2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Zvonimir Stopi\u0107 <\/strong>is an accomplished scholar with a diverse academic background. He completed his studies in history and philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb, Croatia, in 2009. Subsequently, he obtained a Ph.D. in the history of international relations from Capital Normal University in Beijing in 2018. In 2020, he further enriched his expertise by completing a Mini-MBA in Crisis Management from the Luxembourg School of Business (LSB). Dr. Stopi\u0107\u2019s research interests primarily center around Sino-Yugoslavian relations, the dynamics of the \u201cThird World,\u201d Cold War diplomacy, contemporary international relations of China, and area studies focusing on Southeast Europe. Currently, he serves as an assistant professor at Capital Normal University (CNU) and holds the position of Assistant Director at the university\u2019s scientific institute, the Center for the Study of Civilizations (CSC) – Institute of Global and Area Studies (IGAS; \u56fd\u522b\u533a\u57df\u7814\u7a76\u9662). In Croatia, Dr. Stopi\u0107 collaborates with the Zagreb School of Economics and Management (ZSEM), where he teaches courses on China and contributed to the establishment of the \u201cCroaAsia Institute,\u201d a center dedicated to China and Asia related studies. Between 2020 and 2022, Dr. Stopi\u0107 served as a non-residential associate of the China-CEE Institute in Budapest. He has authored several publications, including the book \u201cSilk, Dragons and Paper: Chinese Civilization, Culture and History\u201d (Zagreb: Alfa, 2021) and the monograph \u201cRevolutionaries, Revisionists, Dogmatists, Dogs and Madmen: China and Yugoslavia from 1948 until 1971\u201d (Zagreb: Srednja Europa, 2022). Additionally, he served as the chief editor, alongside Jure Ram\u0161ak, Liang Zhanjun, and Jo\u017ee Pirjevec, for the edited volume \u201cChina, Yugoslavia, and the Socialist Worldmaking: Convergences and Divergences\u201d (Koper: Anales ZRS, 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Mato Njavro<\/strong> serves as the Dean of Zagreb School of Economics and Management (ZSEM) in Croatia. He also teaches at the Luxembourg School of Business and the University of St.Gallen in Switzerland. With a diverse academic and professional background, Dr. Njavro has worked at the St.Gallen Institute of Management in Asia, in Singapore, where he served as a senior research fellow. He was also a lecturer at the Singapore Management University, where he taught a course on China\u2019s economic development. Prior to joining the University of St. Gallen and Singapore Management University, Dr. Njavro was a visiting research fellow at Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Sciences (IQSS). Dr. Njavro authored and co-authored several papers and case studies published by the Harvard Business School publishing. Dr. Njavro has earned his bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degree in economics and finance from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. He earned his PhD in finance from University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. His professional experience includes working in the investment banking divisions of Lehman Brothers and Nomura in London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cChina\u2019s rise has shaken the world. The world needs to understand China better. Unfortunately, much of Western scholarship provides distorted views of China. This book is different. By presenting the internal logic and strategic rationale behind China\u2019s decisions, the authors reveals a consistency in Chinese thought and behavior that makes China’s global actions quite predictable. Anyone who wants to understand China better must read this book.\u201d (Kishore Mahbubani, Distinguished Fellow at Asia Research institute, National University of Singapore, and author of \u201cHas China Won?\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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