Mao's China and the Cold War - (New Cold War History) by Jian Chen (Paperback)

About the Book

This comprehensive study of China's experience during the Cold War, based on American and recently declassified Chinese sources, reveals the crucial role China played in the conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

Book Synopsis

This comprehensive study of China's Cold War experience reveals the crucial role Beijing played in shaping the orientation of the global Cold War and the confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The success of China's Communist revolution in 1949 set the stage, Chen says. The Korean War, the Taiwan Strait crises, and the Vietnam War -- all of which involved China as a central actor -- represented the only major "hot" conflicts during the Cold War period, making East Asia the main battlefield of the Cold War, while creating conditions to prevent the two superpowers from engaging in a direct military showdown. Beijing's split with Moscow and rapprochement with Washington fundamentally transformed the international balance of power, argues Chen, eventually leading to the end of the Cold War with the collapse of the Soviet Empire and the decline of international communism.

Based on sources that include recently declassified Chinese documents, the book offers pathbreaking insights into the course and outcome of the Cold War.

Review Quotes

Chen's extensive documentation will boldly challenge the revisionist view of a more pragmatic Mao. ("Foreign Affairs")

We are fortunate to have this book because of the author's analysis and use of sources that are not generally available to non-Chinese. ("Library Journal")

A major contribution to our understanding of Chinese Cold War history. Chen Jian's unrivaled control of the new and plentiful Chinese source materials is evident throughout, as an inspiration to other scholars in the field. (Odd Arne Westad, London School of Economics)