This book uses the notion of "Chinese exceptionalism" as a framework to analyze China's international politics and foreign policy. It argues that China's approach to international relations is best understood in the context of these claims to exceptionalism and China's broader political world view. In doing so, it fosters a more comprehensive understanding of China's actions within the realms of foreign policy and international politics, and in the context of the preferred world order, norms and rules that the country seeks to promote.

Benjamin Ho is a Research Fellow at the China Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore. His publications include: 'Power and Populism: What the Singapore Model Means for the Chinese Dream', The China Quarterly 236 (2018), 'Learning from Lee: Lessons in Governance for the Middle Kingdom from the Little Red Dot', East Asia: An International Quarterly 33,2 (2016), and 'About Face-the relational dimension in Chinese IR discourse', Journal of Contemporary China Vol. 25, 98 (2016).

Introduction. The Rise of China: Political Worldview and Chinese Exceptionalism
Chapter 2. Chinese political worldview: IR with Chinese characteristics
Chapter 3. Who is China: A Remaking of National Identity
Chapter 4. Chinese national image and global leadership
Chapter 5. The Belt and Road and the Path to Chinese Greatness
Chapter 6. Perceiving China (Case studies from Indonesia and Vietnam)
Chapter 7. Deciphering China (Views from Singapore)
Chapter 8. Conclusion: From Chinese exceptionalism to Chinese universality
Chapter 9. Afterword: Covid-19 and the limits of Chinese exceptionalism
Bibliography
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