'[Rawski] challenges the China-centered, uni-national approach with this exploration of how the states and cultures across Northeast Asia influenced China's history, culture, and identity in the early modern era. The author's earlier works on Qing China make her eminently suited to write this book. Rawski does not limit herself to the late imperial period, however, as she applies her analysis to contemporary China and, especially, its fraught relations with Japan and Korea. … Rawski's deployment of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean primary sources underlines her approach and should further the book's utility to readers interested in any or all of the three culture areas. … A unique work in its scope, sources, and argument. … Highly recommended.' M. C. Brose, Choice

'Rawski's book is a significant achievement. Her comparative approach is likely to prove informative for scholars and students alike and indeed I can well imagine using it as a textbook for an undergraduate class.' Adam Bohnet, Ming Studies

'… meticulously studied and eloquently written book … ground-breaking study of why and how was the northeast Asian region, in particular Korea and Japan, of irreplaceable importance not only as frontier for the Chinese Central Plain states but also as vital players in the shared geopolitical arena.' Hang Lin, De Gruyter