Revolutionary Diplomacy

"One of the most thoughtful and provocative analyses of contemporary Chinese foreign relations to be published in many years, this book by J. D. Armstrong is primarily an attempt to identify the role of ideology in Peking's foreign policy. A secondary concern is to explore changes in Chinese policy, particularly those that might indicate Peking's adaptation to influences from the international system. . . . it is a pleasure to find a book . . . so ambitious in scope, so confident and forceful in presentation, and generally so successful in achieving what the author intended. [T]his book sets a high standard for both conceptual clarity and empirical richness that all of us working on Chinese foreign relations will be hard pressed to equal."--American Historical Review "[I] recommend strongly that serious students of Chinese affairs and foreign policy give this book their close attention. . . . This is a challenging book. . . lively, literate, and unfailingly interesting."--Annals "This is a small jewel of a book. . . . The author superbly elucidates through conceptualization and empirical testing precisely how an important aspect of communist ideology effects Chinese foreign policy. . . . Even at the most mundane level of historical recapitulation, this book is a reliable and valuable guide to the events encompassed by its case studies. Armstrong is disciplined in his assessment of allegations concerning Chinese behavior, particularly covert, as weighed against evidence and logic. No political bias or preconceptions cloud his vision. . . . Revolutionary Diplomacy will inform the generalist and specialist alike and deserves wide use in the classroom and in government. It is a model for further inquiry into the wellsprings of Chinese foreign policy."--American Political Science Review