Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Understanding China's global impact --
2. China's global identity --
3. China's global diplomatic presence --
4. China and global governance --
5. China's global economic presence --
6. China's global cultural presence --
7. China's global security presence --
8. Coping with a globalized China.

Most global citizens are well aware of the explosive growth of the Chinese economy. Indeed, China has famously become the "workshop of the world." Yet, while China watchers have shed much light on the country's internal dynamics – China's politics, its vast social changes, and its economic development – few have focused on how this increasingly powerful nation has become more active and assertive throughout the world. Thirty years ago, China's role in global affairs beyond its immediate East Asian periphery was decidedly minor and it had little geostrategic power. Today however, China's expanding economic power has allowed it to extend its reach virtually everywhere from mineral mines in Africa, to currency markets in the West, to oilfields in the Middle East, to agribusiness in Latin America, to the factories of East Asia. It offers an enlightening look into the manifestations of China's global presence: its extensive commercial footprint, its growing military power, its increasing cultural influence or "soft power," its diplomatic activity, and its new prominence in global governance institutions.