In Power Competition in East Asia, Suisheng Zhao provides the first in-depth, comprehensive analysis of international relations in this part of the world. With a focus on the political economy of the region and a special emphasis on security issues, Zhao provides a theoretical survey of the trends in East Asian international relations throughout history.

He investigates crucial events in the history of the area, from the decay of the Chinese world order in the nineteenth century, to the vanishing of superpower rivalry and the emergence of a regional multipolarity in the post-Cold War era. By viewing the region through such a historical sweep, Power Competition in East Asia serves as a systematic resource for anyone interested in the evolution of power relations in one of the most dynamic areas in the world today.