The East Asian expansion since the 1960s stands out as a global power shift with few historical precedents. The Resurgence of East Asia examines the rise of the region as one of the world's economic power centres from three temporal perspectives: 500 years, 150 years and 50 years, each denoting an epoch in regional and world history and providing a vantage point against which to assess contemporary developments.

The three perspectives each have something valuable to offer towards the understanding of the present rise of East Asia and the modern world system, and their combination offers a contrast to the national and global studies that have recently dominated the literatures of development and globalization. In offering a comprehensive understanding of the present East Asian dynamic in light of the region's historical heritage, the authors present several alternative hypotheses about the ongoing East Asian renaissance, whose plausibility remains to be assessed in the light of unfolding evidence.

This collection is a valuable resource for students of Asian history, international politics and Asian studies.