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Long before the arrival of Western emissaries and powers, East Asian peoples and states were deeply involved in world affairs. In this sweeping account, Warren I. Cohen explores four millennia of international relations from the vantage points of China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.
Writing incisively and authoritatively for readers at all levels, Cohen paints a broad but revealing portrait of East Asia’s place in the world. He defines the region’s boundaries widely, looking beyond China, Japan, and Korea to include Southeast Asia, and extends the scope of international relations to consider the vital role of cultural and economic exchanges. Cohen examines the system of Chinese domination in the ancient world, the exchanges between East Asia and the Islamic world, Chinese sea voyages to Arabia and East Africa, and the emergence of a European-defined international system. He chronicles the new imperialism of the 1890s, the ascendancy of Japan, the trials of World War II, the drama of the Cold War, and the transformations of East Asian states toward the close of the twentieth century. By showing that East Asia has often been preeminent on the world stage, this book not only recasts the past but also adds crucial historical perspective on international politics today.
This second edition of East Asia at the Center features new material on the first decades of the twenty-first century.
Maps
Tables
Preface to the Second Edition
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. The Emergence of an International System in East Asia
2. Shadows Over Tang Splendor
3. East Asia Uncentered
4. The Mongol Ascendancy
5. The Resurgence of Chinese Power and the Coming of Islam
6. Europe and Japan Disrupt the East Asian International Order
7. The Great Qing Empire
8. Triumph of the West
9. The Ascendance of Japan
10. Challenge to the West
11. War and Decolonization, 1932–1949
12. The Cold War in Asia
13. The Resurgence of East Asian Economic Power
14. On the Eve of the Twenty-first Century
15. East Asia in the Twenty-first Century
Closing Thoughts
Notes
Further Reading
Index
Description
Long before the arrival of Western emissaries and powers, East Asian peoples and states were deeply involved in world affairs. In this sweeping account, Warren I. Cohen explores four millennia of international relations from the vantage points of China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.
Writing incisively and authoritatively for readers at all levels, Cohen paints a broad but revealing portrait of East Asia’s place in the world. He defines the region’s boundaries widely, looking beyond China, Japan, and Korea to include Southeast Asia, and extends the scope of international relations to consider the vital role of cultural and economic exchanges. Cohen examines the system of Chinese domination in the ancient world, the exchanges between East Asia and the Islamic world, Chinese sea voyages to Arabia and East Africa, and the emergence of a European-defined international system. He chronicles the new imperialism of the 1890s, the ascendancy of Japan, the trials of World War II, the drama of the Cold War, and the transformations of East Asian states toward the close of the twentieth century. By showing that East Asia has often been preeminent on the world stage, this book not only recasts the past but also adds crucial historical perspective on international politics today.
This second edition of East Asia at the Center features new material on the first decades of the twenty-first century.
