East Asians in the League of Nations

This book looks at East Asian actors in the League of Nations to explore a pivotal moment in the early stage of the development of global international relations. It breaks new ground by drawing on extensive sources in East Asian languages to show how actors from the region played significant roles in shaping the emerging norms and practices that underpin the international system. The chapters cover cases from the three East Asian member states, namely China, Japan and Siam (Thailand) to address topics that involve the intersection of disciplinary fields, such as law and warfare, sovereignty and international organization, and public health and international co-operation. The research draws on new material that will be of interest to academic researchers and is presented in a style suitable for teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels, especially for courses that strive to achieve a global outlook and the decolonization of the curriculum.

Christopher R. Hughes Professor Emeritus of International Relations at the LSE, where he served as Director of the Asia Research Centre from 2002 to 2005. He has published widely on Chinese foreign policy and the impact of culture, technology and power on the evolution of international society. Previous books include Taiwan and Chinese Nationalism: National Identity and Status in International Society (Routledge 1997/2014), China and the Internet: Politics of the Digital Leap Forward (ed. Wth G. Wacker) (Routledge 2003) and Chinese Nationalism in the Global Era (Routledge Curzon 2006).

Hatsue Shinohara is a Professor at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University. She specializes in the history of international organization and international law. Her major publications include American International Lawyers in the Interwar Years: A Forgotten Crusade (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and the League of Nations (in Japanese) (2010), which was translated into Chinese and published in China (2020).