The first decade of the twenty-first century has been one of unprecedented growth for China. Challenges both old and new, such as the delicate treatment of volatile Sino-Japanese relations and the forging of new-era partnerships with African and Latin American nations, required the outlook of a rising world power. At the center of many of these historic events and debates was Tang Jiaxuan, the nation’s foreign minister and, later, a state councilor.
Heavy Storm and Gentle Breeze is Jiaxuan's behind-the-scenes account of this new era in Chinese diplomacy. Drawing on over four decades of experience in foreign service, Jiaxuan not only details his own nation's policy challenges, but also offers a broader perspective on our most pressing global issues—from the United Nations response to the 9/11 attacks and the U.S.-Iraq war to the developing relationship between China and the European Union. At the core of his account lie the relentless back-and-forth negotiations that are the essence of diplomacy.
Illuminating, candid, and thoroughly compelling, Jiaxuan offers a brilliant, in-depth chronicle of China's surge to its central role in global politics. His book will serve as an essential diplomatic record for the new century.