Sino-Foreign Relations (Volume I)

Xing Chunru / 李穆南 / Jie Baofeng / 刘心莲Liaohai Publishing House · ChinaSep 2014

Rating 3.0

Word count: 56K words
Chapters: 42

Summary

This book is part of the 'Panorama of Chinese Cultural Knowledge' series, which recounts China's extraordinary journey from prehistoric times to the present: the opening up of its territory, the formation of its ethnic groups, the evolution of its society, and the development of its economy, culture, and politics. Holding high the banner of peace, development, and cooperation, China adheres to an independent foreign policy of peace, follows the path of peaceful development, and pursues a mutually beneficial opening-up strategy. It seeks to develop itself through a peaceful international environment while promoting peace through its own development.

Editor's review

As a thematic volume in a series, this book examines China's relations with foreign countries within the long span of Chinese cultural development, focusing not on piling up anecdotes but on providing an extendable historical thread. Readers can use it to build a basic framework from early contacts to the modern transformation of diplomacy, and to understand how trade, diplomatic missions, and cultural exchange were intertwined. The book is largely informative in nature, with clear chapters, suitable for both continuous reading and reference: teachers can use it to supplement background, general readers can start with the contents and select chapters, and writers should treat it as an entry point to threads rather than a final authority. It is more like an introductory map, helping readers know where to look further, rather than replacing specialized histories. Those expecting rigorous theoretical construction or primary-archive analysis should look elsewhere.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers wishing to systematically understand the historical threads of China's foreign relations
Secondary-school history and politics teachers and lesson preparers, as background material
University students and civil-service or postgraduate exam candidates needing general-knowledge material
Beginning readers interested in cultural exchange and diplomatic history

Not a good fit for

Professional researchers expecting original scholarly arguments and rigorous demonstration
Readers who want only light stories and reject informative exposition
Practitioners needing operational details of contemporary foreign policy

Reading tips

First read the contents and each chapter's summary, draw a timeline, then return to fill in details
Make cards by theme: one entry each for event, figures, institutions, and impact
Read against other volumes in the series to avoid fragmented knowledge
Mark conclusions first, then verify against general histories or reference works

About the publisher

Liaohai Publishing House China · Founded in 1996

Liaohai Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for textbooks and the collation of ancient works. Its publishing scope covers state-approved textbooks, local curriculum materials, supplementary educational books, and national and local ancient-text compilation projects, while also extending into humanities fields such as Eastern philosophy. Its catalog contains about 4,694 titles, with representative works including the multi-volume Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), and its author resources include classic writers and works such as Sima Qian and Confucius. Grounded in educational publishing and the transmission of traditional culture, the press maintains sustained investment in ancient-text collation, forming a publishing profile that balances textbooks and scholarship. Due to limited public information, its more specific publishing directions and features require further supplementation.

版权信息
编写说明
一、世界各国
大宛
康居
月氏
奄蔡
安息
乌弋山离
大夏
贵霜
宾
身毒
大秦
朝鲜
倭
扶南
真腊
骠国
粟特
昭武九姓
二、中外活动
中外经贸
市舶司
佛教
景教
摩尼教
伊斯兰教
南海交通
荷兰侵占台湾
交阯布政使司
东西洋
耶稣会士
倭寇
雅克萨之战
马戛尔尼使团
鸦片战争
三元里抗英斗争
升平社学
常胜军
太平天国的对外关系
第二次鸦片战争

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no background?

Yes. It is an informative general-knowledge reader, organized mainly around tracing threads, and does not require prior coursework in diplomatic history; however, readers with no background should first skim the contents to build a chronological framework, then read chapter by chapter, consulting reference works for unfamiliar events.

Should the two volumes be read in order?

Reading the first volume first is recommended. Volumes in a series generally follow in sequence, and the first volume helps build background; if you care only about a certain period, you can skip around using the contents, but do not sever the threads before and after.

Can the views in the book be quoted directly in a paper?

It is not advisable to use them directly as paper evidence. This is a popular knowledge work, suitable for providing threads and background; formal citation should verify against primary documents or authoritative general histories, with sources noted, avoiding treating a secondary summary as settled fact.

Will it be dry to read?

It is fairly informative but not a purely theoretical work. You can read it in sections and, after each, restate the key points in your own words; pairing it with maps, chronologies, or documentaries reduces unfamiliarity.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Xing Chunru Author · China

Xing Chunru is a Chinese full-time book editor about whom publicly available information is limited. He has long compiled popular series for institutions such as Liaohai Publishing House. His output is considerable, with more than 700 titles held in the collection, covering fields such as art history, science and military affairs, politics and history, language and writing, and film and television. Representative works include Chinese Martial Arts (Part II), A History of Chinese Art, A History of Chinese Science and Technology, A Course in the Art of Language, Famous Paintings and Masterpieces, and the series A Grand Garden of Chinese Cultural Knowledge. These books present specialized knowledge in an accessible style, emphasizing systematic organization and readability, and are intended for young readers and general audiences, helping to popularize and guide understanding of traditional culture, art appreciation, and language expression.

李穆南 Author

Li Munan: publicly available information is limited, and details of his life, such as nationality and dates of birth and death, are not clearly recorded. Nevertheless, the 229 works held in the library indicate a prolific compiler with wide-ranging interests. His works focus mainly on Chinese culture and history, and representative titles include Chinese Martial Arts (Volume Two), The Grand Compendium of Chinese Cultural Knowledge: Science and Military Volume, The Grand Compendium of Chinese Cultural Knowledge: Politics and History Volume, The History of Ancient Chinese Literature, The History of Contemporary Chinese Literature, Poems of Successive Dynasties, and Residential Architecture and Folk Customs (Volume One). The common categories cover culture, popular science, general biography, and history readers, showing that his writing centers on knowledge popularization and cultural dissemination. His subjects span literary history, folk customs, military science, and political history, and are mostly aimed at general readers. Overall, Li Munan's body of work is extensive and emphasizes the systematic organization of traditional Chinese culture and historical knowledge, giving him a certain accumulated presence and influence in the compilation of popular cultural reading materials.

Jie Baofeng Author · Chinese · 1976

Jie Baofeng, born in 1976 and a native of Qianguo, Jilin, is of Han ethnicity and serves as an assistant researcher. He is currently director of the Jilin Provincial Local Chronicles Museum, a member of the Standing Committee of the Jilin Provincial CPPCC, and vice chair of the Jilin Provincial Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, and has long been engaged in compiling local chronicles. He has planned and published more than ninety chronicles and gazetteers, including the Illustrated Gazetteer of the Colonial Governing Institutions of the Puppet State of Manchukuo, and has served as chief editor of numerous history and popular science series, gaining extensive experience in document organization and knowledge dissemination. His works span a wide range of subjects, including folk literature, inspirational growth, and social fiction, with 970 titles held in the collection. These include multivolume editions of traditional classics such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas and The Complete Works of Guiguzi, as well as accessible popular readings, reflecting an editorial approach that balances scholarship with readability.

刘心莲 Author

Liu Xinlian is a Chinese compiler credited with a considerable number of titles, though public information about her is limited, and her nationality, dates of birth and death, and personal background are not clearly recorded. Judging from the 182 works held in the collection, her writing focuses mainly on cultural popularization and general knowledge books, covering such subjects as Chinese martial arts, political history, science and military affairs, emperors and eunuchs of successive dynasties, imperial examination top scholars, and myths and legends. The common categories include culture, popular science, history readings, folk literature, and general biography. Representative works include Chinese Martial Arts (Volume II), The Grand View of Chinese Culture: Political and Historical Volume, The Grand View of Chinese Culture: Science and Military Volume, Emperors of Successive Dynasties, and Myths and Legends. Overall, her editorial style leans toward accessible introductions for general readers, emphasizing systematic organization and readability, making it suitable for ordinary readers seeking to understand traditional culture and historical knowledge.