Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- The Chinese view of the world : The Confucian worldview ; The Chinese way of war ; Empire and world order: Qin and Han -- Early relations : Early southeast Asia ; Expansion of contacts: trade and religion ; The special case of Vietnam ; Southeast Asia and the song ; Conclusion -- Mongol expansion : Mongol conquests ; The projection of Mongol power ; Implications for southeast Asia ; Changing worldviews ; Conclusion -- Sea power, tribute and trade : The tributary system ; Ming expansionism ; The Ming voyages ; Later Ming-southeast Asia relations ; Conclusion -- Enter the Europeans : Tribute and trade ; China, southeast Asia, the Portuguese, and the Dutch ; The Qing ; Challenges to the Chinese world order ; The late Qing and overseas Chinese in southeast Asia ; Conclusion -- The changing world order : Nationalism and politics among the oversease Chinese ; Sino-Thai relations ; The second World War and its aftermath ; Conclustion -- Communism and the Cold War : The Chinese Marxist-Leninist worldview ; Early PRC-Southeast Asia relations ; The first Indochina war ; The 'Bandung spirit' ; Complications and setbacks ; The second Indochina war ; Developing bilateral relations regimes -- Fresh beginnings : Shifting relations in continental Southeast Asia ; The Cambodian problem ; The economic imperative ; From ASEAN six to ASEAN ten ; The South China Sea ; Pattern of interaction -- Future directions : China: strategic goals and international relations culture ; Three scenarios ; China and ASEAN ; Conclusion.