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Political Science General

The Pragmatic Dragon

China’s Grand Strategy and Boundary Settlements

by (author) Eric Hyer

Publisher
UBC Press
Initial publish date
Jul 2015
Category
General, Security (National & International), Asian
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780774826365
    Publish Date
    Jul 2015
    List Price
    $32.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780774826358
    Publish Date
    Jan 2015
    List Price
    $95.00

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Description

China shares borders and asserts vast maritime claims with over a dozen countries, and it has had boundary disputes with nearly all of them. Yet in the 1960s, when tensions were escalating with the Soviet Union, India, and the United States, China moved to conclude boundary agreements with these neighbours peacefully. In this wide-ranging study of China’s boundary disputes and settlements, Eric Hyer finds China’s behaviour was strategic and even demonstrated willingness to compromise. This behaviour in earlier periods is pertinent to the ongoing territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas. The Pragmatic Dragon analyzes these disputes and the strategic rationale behind China’s behaviour, providing important insights into the foreign policy of a nation whose presence on the world stage continues to grow.

About the author

Contributor Notes

Eric Hyer is an associate professor of political science and the coordinator for Asian studies at Brigham Young University. He was a visiting scholar at the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing from 1995 to 1996.

Editorial Reviews

The Pragmatic Dragon significantly advances the reader’s knowledge of China’s reactions and counter-measures to its boundary disputes. Moreover, the case studies present an intriguing account of why and how China made compromises on its border disputes. It is a book worth reading for those with great curiosity and questions about China’s boundary settlements. This book may also interest political economists, historians, and general readers concerned with China’s response to the shift of the global balance of power.

Pacific Affairs