Kissinger's dual-purpose instrument of the US-China and US-Soviet detente was devised to achieve a stable balance of power in the contemporary world in the second half of the 1960s. Stimulated by both Kissinger's doctrine and the historical novel, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Mao's global order of tripolarity was created to feature the new US-China relations in the early 1970s with his initiative of the ping-pong diplomacy through this Kissinger-Mao axis. This made his quest for a modernization revolution possible with the Western market oriented approach. Strengthening Mao's modernization program, Xiaoping's "good-neighborhood" policy was designed to induce the world to help modernize China. Vitally including Russia with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Deng's policy helped maintain a peaceful and stable international environment, though it also marked the end of Mao's global order. Perceiving the PRC's rise as a threat to its dominance in the Asia Pacific region, the US containment effort was enhanced with US-Japanese collusion and siding with the Philippines and Vietnam in relevant maritime disputes with the PRC. The US united with the Republic of Korea, nations in Southeast Asia, and Australia in establishing a wide-range alliance to go against the "China threat." The post-Cold War, eastward expansion of the US-led NATO and the Russian determination to be a great power again, contributed to tension with the United States. The Russian desire to maintain its nuclear deterrent capability was at odds with the US missile defense plans. Thus, the US deployment of its missile shield in Eastern Europe as part of its strategic configuration in Alaska and the Far East was to contain Russia from both the Far East and Europe.

This book examines the impact of classical Chinese literature on Mao Zedong's political rhetoric and his vision of a tripolar geopolitical landscape at the peak of the Cold War. The historical novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which two weaker sovereign powers (Shu and Wu) collude to defend themselves against the dominance of another power (Wei), is here identified as a particular inspiration for Mao in building a Sino-Soviet alliance in opposition to the powerful United States. This classical Chinese text provided Mao with a framework for understanding the complexity of global politics, establishing a balance with the two superpowers, and gaining diplomatic autonomy in China's development. This study traces Mao's use of a tripolar policy throughout his leadership, including the role of the Korean War in isolating China, the influence of Sino-US hostility on Mao's Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, and the initiation of 'ping-pong diplomacy' with the United States to counteract the Soviet threat. The author offers an original insight into Mao's navigation of US and Soviet pressures while promoting socialist modernization in China.