This book stands as a rebuke to any who would attempt to forward simplistic interpretations of China's rise. In place of parsimonious arguments, or an endorsement of any singular set of images (whether pacific or confrontational), it repeatedly calls attention to the remarkable complexity of China's emerging international profile. More specifically, the leading Chinese and American scholars working in the fields of Chinese foreign policy, international political economy, and national security, who contributed to this volume argue that while China appears to be entering a new era in its relationship with the outside world, such a development encompasses disparate, even contradictory, policies, and, as a result, there is a great deal of fluidity within China's place in world politics.

Complex issues of national security and defense modernization continue to be a major preoccupation of the PRC leadership. In the 1970s, especially during the second half of that crucial decade, critical decisions were made that led to Beijing's alignment with the West against the USSR and a revitalization of its armed forces. This book looks at Chi