Restless Empire: China's Reckoning with the World from Ming to Modern (Revised Third Edition 2026)

Restless Empire: China and the World since 1750

Contemporary East Asian and Cold War History Authority, William T. Rowe's Classic Work — Revised Third Edition 2026 The Guardian's Best History Book of 2012 2013 Asia Society Schwarz Book Award

Qing Empire ╳ Modern China ╳ Foreign Relations ╳ Revolution ╳ War ╳ Modernity ╳ Nationalism How did the universalism of the Qianlong Emperor evolve into Xi Jinping's nationalism today? The answer lies in reviewing China's foreign relations history over the past 250 years!

★ "China: An Imperial and Global History" is meticulously narrated, with a broad and clear vision. ── Jonathan D. Spence
★ "China: An Imperial and Global History" offers insights into complex historical issues. ── Jung Chang
★ William T. Rowe tells readers why China is always violent towards other countries. ── Frank Dikotter
★ If you want to know what role China will play in the future, you can find the answer here. ── Stephen R. Platt

During the Qianlong era, China was at the center of the world, with flourishing national power and peace both domestically and internationally. Since the reform and opening-up in the 20th century, China has reached a new peak. But where will China go in the future? Will it achieve the "great rejuvenation of the nation," or will it face obstacles and a difficult path?

This history must begin with Qianlong. The Qing Empire reached its peak in the 18th century. In the 14th year of Qianlong (1750), the Great Qing Empire had consolidated its rule over all of China and expanded its dominion to Central Asia, Tibet, and small coastal states in East Asia from Korea to Myanmar. Unlike its predecessors, the Manchu emperors regulated the empire's foreign relations, with Beijing at the center of "all under heaven" in the diplomatic system, and all regions explicitly recognizing the Qing's hegemonic status.

However, the peak could not be sustained. From the late Qianlong period, the Qing Empire's prestige was severely damaged. For the next century, China continuously faced external challenges. The world no longer revolved around it; it was constantly passive, suffering humiliation. In its pursuit of modernity, democratization, capitalism, and the nation-state, China appeared "restless," and remains so today. But William T. Rowe also believes that China's modern history is not, as common historical narratives suggest, full of an empire plagued by various external and internal anxieties, or filled with shame and hatred. In fact, China has always adjusted its interactions with the outside world, sometimes bowing its head, sometimes holding it high.

Today, some historical commentators believe that with China's resurgence, Asia, or at least East Asia, is returning to a Sinocentric world. This is China's goal, but can it be achieved? Even if the situation 250 years ago shares similarities with today's, William T. Rowe still believes that "today's China is dominated by nationalism, not universalism," and this will lead China back to its old path of isolation, appearing very anachronistic in the current global landscape.

If we want to understand China's past and future, to understand China's complex internal motivations, to understand why China is so "restless," and where it will go in the future, this book will provide us with countless examples and insights.

Recommendations from all walks of life Wang Feiling | Author of "The China Order" He Qinglian | Author of "China: The Crash That Never Happened" Wang Hao | Author of "The Accidental Founding Father" Zhang Guocheng | Author of "The Nation's Decision" (Listed by the number of strokes in their surnames)

International Praise "China: An Imperial and Global History" is an excellent demonstration of how to understand China through history. ── The Guardian, UK, Best History Book of 2012
William T. Rowe begins by debunking myths, strongly opposing the idea that China has long been an introspective, closed society. Rowe is particularly precise when discussing the Cold War, making admirable arguments about China's relationship with its East Asian neighbors, such as how Mao Zedong nurtured his ideological "little brothers" (like Kim Il-sung and Ho Chi Minh). This umbilical relationship was not communist, but Confucian. Rowe sharply and clearly points out the many obstacles China faced before becoming a global leader. ── The Sunday Telegraph, UK
"China: An Imperial and Global History" is a fascinating and enjoyable read. On one hand, it provides a historical framework for interpreting modern Chinese behavior, and on the other, it is rich in vivid details and observations. The book is full of excellent sentences and grand historical narratives, and Rowe also offers well-argued reappraisals of several specific historical episodes in China. Another interesting aspect of "China: An Imperial and Global History" is its emphasis on the ambiguous shock China experienced when encountering imperialism. Rowe places recent developments in China within an interesting historical perspective. Regarding modernity, anxious readers might therefore want to know more about what this entire history tells us. ── Financial Times, UK
This book attempts to correct perspectives, moving away from lengthy studies by political administrators or politicians, and instead delves into the history of missionaries, businessmen, coolies, revolutionaries, and scholars. "China: An Imperial and Global History" is a personalized, anecdotal, and human-oriented historical work that addresses the problem of China being widely perceived as a threat in the past, spanning 250 years of history. ── Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, USA
Understanding China's cultural, commercial, and diplomatic relations with the world is important, and this book is therefore very useful. For China, it must recognize its past more than any other country, which is the key to understanding China's present and future. William T. Rowe builds his narrative from various materials, including other treatises, personal anecdotes, and primary research, but with an accessible writing style. "China: An Imperial and Global History" is an exemplary book for the general public to read grand history. ── The Courier-Post, USA
An excellent book... The author very politely challenges common misconceptions about China, which have been concocted many times by many senior scholars, both Asian and Western. The story he presents of foreigners in China is not a monotonous record of malevolent imperialism, but a richer and more important historical narrative. The excellence and distinction of "China: An Imperial and Global History" lie in that, while everyone emphasizes the threat theory when China encounters Japan or the West, William T. Rowe shows how much inspiration and surprise these encounters brought to China, and how critically they opened China's mind to the outside world. ── John Pomfret, Diplomatic Correspondent for The Washington Post
William T. Rowe's clear arguments are very useful, both in their historical context and in his academic contributions. In modern academic papers, it is difficult to find another work that, over such a long historical dimension, can replace the long-standing view of "Western impact on China" better than "China: An Imperial and Global History." ── The Public Interest, USA
A subtle interpretation of China's foreign relations history. Whether for students who want to understand modern Chinese history, or for anyone interested in how China's role in world affairs has grown, this is an important read. ── Library Journal, USA
A grand record of China's "schizophrenic" relationship with the outside world throughout history, deeply humane. For those interested in issues such as Chinese political history, economic development, and China's place in the international community, William T. Rowe offers readers a great opportunity to peek behind the curtain. ── Booklist, USA
An important explanation of how China and the world frequently meet violently. ── Kirkus Reviews, USA
A perceptive and concise study of modern China, with a scope that emphasizes mixed identities and foreign influence, rather than nationalism and Sinocentrism. This book gives China, a country that often confuses the West, a fresh face. William T. Rowe is skilled at compressing a large amount of complex history into a steady narrative, allowing readers to better understand China's central role in rising international affairs. ── Publishers Weekly, USA
A thorough and moving book. This is the perfect study to show how China's past and future are intertwined. ── Literary Review, UK
A timely new book. William T. Rowe takes us on a fast yet solid journey through the scorched earth of China's relationship with the outside world (especially foreign aggression led by Britain). In this flood of books about China, William T. Rowe has produced an entertaining, content-rich, and useful work. ── The Vancouver Sun, Canada
"China: An Imperial and Global History" is full of details, an elegant meditation on China's search for its place in the world, and answers a fundamental question: "What is China?" William T. Rowe masterfully connects China's 19th-century decline, its restless 20th-century experiments with modernity, and its dazzling re-emergence today. This is a scholarly history. ── Global Asia, Korea
William T. Rowe's "China: An Imperial and Global History" is meticulously narrated, with a broad and clear vision. It provides an excellent introduction to China's unpredictable foreign relations over 250 years. ── Jonathan D. Spence
"China: An Imperial and Global History" is an authoritative work on China's foreign relations from the peak of the empire in the 18th century to the present day. Anyone who wants to know what role China will play in the future world can find the answer in this book. ── Stephen R. Platt
This is an essential guide to why China is always violent towards other countries. ── Frank Dikotter
This book, written by a distinguished sinologist, brings clarity and insight to complex historical issues. ── Jung Chang
Understanding China is the most important task facing the world today. William T. Rowe has written a truly outstanding book, whose mission is to present a very core constituent element: China and the world since 1750. Very readable and full of insights, brimming with good sense and fair judgment, anyone can expect the historical explanation to be thorough and clear. This book deserves to be widely read and passed on. ── Martin Jacques, Author of "When China Rules the World"

From the death of Qianlong in 1799 to the death of Deng Xiaoping in 1997, 198 years apart, China experienced the latter half of the Qing Dynasty, the Beiyang government and Nanjing government of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party regimes represented by Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Yet, it never established a modern and rational international relationship, often denigrating other countries, even gloating over their mistakes, lacking the true demeanor of a great power. "China: An Imperial and Global History" explains the reason: in the late Qing Dynasty and late Nanjing government, China was dominated by a group of high-ranking officials and capitalists. Today's China is ruled by the regime and vested interest groups with special ties to the West. It is they who hinder China from realizing the modernization of its political system. Therefore, "only by expanding political discussion and participation in government can the current shortcomings of China's foreign policy be overcome." ── Zhu Jiaming, Chinese economist

2026-02-04

八旗文化

496

9786267509944