China’s foreign policy is one of the most significant forces shaping global politics today. This book examines the evolving logic, instruments, and contradictions of China’s approach in an era of intensified great power competition. It explores China’s reshaped relations with the United States and Europe, its deepening yet uneasy alignment with Russia, its evolving security and economic strategies along its periphery, and its expanding influence in the Global South. Rather than portraying China as pursuing a singular, coherent grand strategy, the chapters reveal a complex picture of ambition and constraint, cooperation and competition, confidence and insecurity.

This edited volume brings together a collection of previously published articles from the Journal of Contemporary China, offering a cohesive and insightful analysis of these themes. At its core is a compelling idea: China’s foreign policy combines hard-nosed concerns about power, security, and rivalry with a strategic reliance on institutions, economic ties, and global governance. This duality explains why China alternates between challenging the existing international order and working within it.

Written in clear, accessible language, this book is essential reading for students, policymakers, and general readers in the fields of international relations, political science, Asian studies, and global governance. It offers valuable insights into China’s growing global role and its profound implications for the future of international relations.