Includes bibliographical references (p. 343-363) and indexes.; 1. The problem of China -- 2. How the Chinese imperial state was formed -- 3. We are the world : an imperial tradition both defensive and superior -- 4. "The king is dead; long live the king" : the post-dynastic quest for a new political order -- 5. Red emperor -- 6. Your mother is still your mother -- 7. Beijing juggles the legacy of empire -- 8. Maritime empire -- 9. Steppe empire -- 10. Foreign policy : imperial goals and modes -- 11. Foreign policy : half-empire and half-modern nation -- 12. Autocracy's last legs?;