ABSTRACT
The unification of Germany in 1871 was a watershed in the international relations of the time the redrawing of the map of Europe brought about a major structural change in what was then a quintessentially Euro-centric international system. Yet it is undeniable that the question of China's place and role in international affairs is hardly a new one, having been in fact one of the most recurrent themes in the international relations of East Asia since the end of the Second World War. The role of the USA, the 20th-century's pre-eminent power, is highly significant – so much so that, as Michael Yahuda has rightly argued, future regional dynamics are likely to be dependent upon the character of Sino–US relations. The Korean conflict effectively placed China 'in the forefront of the Cold War in Asia as the main target for American isolation and containment'. The end of the Cold War marked a significant change in the political dynamics of East Asia.
