Five new books on Chinese foreign relations break important theoretical and empirical ground. From the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and the South China Sea to the Baltic Sea, these works discuss China's economic, political, and security relations with the rest of the world. They
also show that other countries are not passive recipients of China's policies, but adopt, reject, or redefine Chinese initiatives, such as Belt and Road, based on their interests, values, and stories about their place in the world. However, the books overlook the broader international context
in which such int...
