"This important edited collection explores many aspects of the historical and contemporary relationship between Yugoslavia (and the post-Yugoslav space) and China, a topic that has had far too little attention paid to it by historians, international relations scholars, and those who focus on socialist worldmaking. The whole is very much more than the sum of its parts with geopolitical overviews or what might be termed “diplomatic history” brilliantly complemented by chapters that focus much more on cultural, intellectual, and touristic exchanges. The book also takes economic relations seriously without ever lapsing into an economic determinism. The book will be a crucial reference point, not merely for those hoping to understand Chinese-Yugoslav relations but, equally importantly, for anyone seeking to get to grips with the rise of China as a global superpower in a rapidly changing multipolar world. As such, it will be required reading not only for students and scholars but, also, for politicians, policy makers, activists and concerned publics everywhere."- Paul Stubbs, Emeritus Senior Research Fellow, The Institute of Economics, Zagreb. Editor of Socialist Yugoslavia and the Non-Aligned Movement: social, cultural, political, and economic imaginaries.* * *"An excellent book, essential reading for those who wish to understand how the past remains a living matter. Even when a country disintegrates and thus disappears from political map of the world - which was the case with Yugoslavia - it continues to be present in memories, imaginations and practices that influence international relations. The authors introduce new and useful concepts and present a powerful analysis of histories of Yugo-Chinese relations. A must read!"- Dejan Jović, Professor, Faculty of Political Science, Zagreb University. Author of Introduction to Yugoslavia.* * *“Yugoslavia and China: Histories, Legacies, Afterlives,” masterfully edited by Anastas Vangeli and Dragan Pavlićević, offers a ground-breaking exploration of Sino-Yugoslav relations that transcends conventional Cold War narratives. This meticulously researched volume unearths the complexities of diplomatic, ideological, and socio-cultural ties between two socialist states. Through multidisciplinary lenses, spanning archival revelations, cultural exchanges and contemporary economic ventures, the contributors illuminate pivotal moments, from the initial suspicion to post-socialist legacies shaping China’s current “ironclad friendship” with Serbia. Particularly compelling are the book’s analyses of local-level interactions, self-determination debates, and the resonance of Yugoslav models in China’s reform era. A vital resource for scholars of international relations, this book bridges historical scholarship with urgent questions about socialist solidarity, globalization, and China’s evolving role in the Balkans and beyond. Timely, insightful, and indispensable.- Song Weiqing, Associate Professor, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China. Editor of The European Union in the Asia Pacific and China’s Relations with Central and Eastern Europe.* * *"This book takes the vital yet under-appreciated China-Yugo connection seriously, from the NAM era to the present, and makes a valuable contribution to our knowledge of their combined histories, legacies, and afterlives. It will be of major interest to scholars of these areas and to those studying international relations, politics, history, and the interplay of socialist legacies and capitalist dynamics today. Refreshingly, the contributors argue collectively that Yugoslavia shaped China’s self-understanding; but also that their intertwined yet fluid connections challenge Eurocentric or orientalist as well as presentist understandings."- Daniel F. Vukovich, Director, China, Humanities, and Global Studies Research Hub, Hong Kong University, author of China and Orientalism: Western Knowledge Production and the PRC and Illiberal China: The Ideological Challenge of the P.R.C.
