The Pragmatic Dragon: Chinas Grand Strategy and Boundary Settlements (Contemporary Chinese Studies)

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. Dedication Contents List of Maps Acknowledgments Part 1: The Strategic and Historical Context Introduction: Grand Strategy and Boundary Settlements 1 The Historical Legacy Part 2: The Sino-Indian Dimension 2 Sino-Indian Relations and Boundary Disputes 3 The Sino-Burmese Boundary Settlement 4 Boundary Settlements with Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan 5 The Sino-Pakistani Boundary Settlement 6 The Sino-Afghan Boundary Settlement Part 3: The Sino-Soviet/Russian Dimension 7 Sino-Soviet/Russian Relations and the Boundary Settlement 8 The Sino-Mongolian Boundary Settlement 9 The Sino-Japanese Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands Dispute 10 The Sino-Vietnamese Territorial and Boundary Settlements Part 4: Contemporary Settlements and Disputes 11 Boundary Settlements with Eurasian States 12 The South China Sea Territorial Disputes Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index "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."--Page 4 of cover Presenting a historical survey of China's boundary disputes and settlements, Hyer demonstrates that its approach to territorial disputes has been pragmatic and strategic.