The Rise of China and Chinese International Relations Scholarship

Hung-Jen Wang’s book . . . aims to inform readers about the views of Chinese IR scholars. . . .Wang’s core argument is that the production of IR knowledge in China is the result of a dynamic interaction between Chinese scholars and their subject, China. . . .Three operative concepts are at work here. First is identity, in which Wang makes the argument that Chinese IR scholarship has to be understood in view of the Chinese historical, cultural, and political contexts. . . .Second is appropriation. Chinese scholars freely make use of Western theories and concepts when these theories and concepts serve the policy recommendations they are making. . . .Third is adaptation, in which Chinese scholars, by borrowing Western theories, also make important efforts to tailor and modify these theories to fit China’s needs and conditions. In the process, these Western theories and concepts, which aspire to universal application, are relativized in the Chinese context. . . .This book has the merit of being the first book to review, discuss, and categorize a large number of Chinese IR writings. The data collected by the author are impressive. * China Review *
Hung-jen Wang has written one of the first books, if not the first book, to systematically examine the relationship between China’s rise and the study of international relations in China. Given the growing influence of China in international affairs, it has become increasingly imperative for the outside world to understand Chinese scholars' unique outlooks on international relations, especially their views of China’s rise. This book is a welcome addition to facilitate the constructive dialog between Chinese and Western scholars of international relations. -- Suisheng Zhao, Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, and Editor of Journal of Contemporary China