In the twenty-first century, China has emerged as the leading challenger to U.S. global dominance. China is often seen as a sleeping giant, emerging out of backwardness toward modernization. However, this vast country is not newly awakening, but rather returning to its previous state of world eminence. With this compelling perspective in mind, D. E. Mungello convincingly shows that contemporary relations between China and the West are far more like the 1500-1800 period than the more recent past. This fully revised third edition retains the clear and concise qualities of its predecessor, while adding striking new illustrations, incorporating significant recent scholarship, and developing important new social and cultural themes, including female infanticide and Chinese emigration to eighteenth-century Europe. Drawing from the author's decades of experience teaching world history, this book illustrates the importance of history to students and general readers trying to understand today's world.