'The title of this book does not do it justice, for the book ranges far beyond Taiwan's diplomacy in Southeast Asia. The most authoritative book published to date on Taiwan's foreign policy (1949 to 2000), it covers Taiwan's foreign relations and diplomacy with Western developed states, the states of Africa and Latin America, Japan, the People's Republic of China, and the countries of Southeast Asia. Based on Chinese and English sources as well as personal interviews and correspondence, Chen Jie presents a wide-ranging, comprehensive view of Taiwan's efforts to gain greater international recognition. . . . Combining impressive scholarship with interesting analysis, Chen Jie presents new ways of understanding why Taiwan acts the way it does and sprinkles the explanations with wry humor. . . . All in all, a tour de force. Summing Up: Essential.'<BR>- S. Ogden, Choice