The world is multipolarizing. The book, China and Eurasian Powers in the Multipolar World Order 2.0: Security, Diplomacy, Economy and Cyberspace, is a timely exploration of the power dynamics and horizontal ordering across the China–Eurasian landscape while weaving together the interconnected themes indicated by the subtitles, i.e., security, diplomatic, economic, and cyberspace issues. The term “Multipolar World Order 2.0” is used purposefully and critically, as the editor and authors adopt a more nuanced and textured understanding of multipolarity, which highlights the often-overlooked hierarchy characterizing the power dynamics between the incumbent US and the ascendant China (p.i–ii).

The book contextualizes the complicated relations between cooperation and competition in a multipolar world order. China’s rise presents a security dilemma in Eurasia: it acts as both a source of security anxiety and a credible security provider. Similarly, China’s economic integration with the Eurasian continent, while potentially disrupting trade balances, simultaneously offers regional States access to stable economic benefits. For small and medium-sized countries, this “double sword” highlights the delicate balance of opportunities and risks inherent in China’s engagement.

While China’s Eurasian policy reflects a calculated geostrategic manoeuvre to safeguard its own interests (p.131), Eurasian actors seek to strategically navigate intraregional and interregional relations. The resurgence of coercive diplomacy and deteriorating US–China relations will inevitably test the resilience of regional ties (p.21). Despite their strategic alignment, the author argues that Russo-Chinese cooperation faces inherent limitations, including Russia’s economic asymmetry, limited technological appeal, and the chilling effect of potential secondary sanctions (p.64, 65). The divergence on Digital Silk Road is a vivid example demonstrating the hard choices of regional States on economic benefits and ideological-security considerations. While the competitive advantage of Chinese technology and shared cyber norms attract EAEU and Middle Eastern States, US-led security concerns have driven decoupling in Europe. This tension ultimately forces third-party States to stand by the line of potentially conflicting “ideology camps” rather than prioritizing technological advancement for sustainable development (p.187, 188, 236).

Another notable contribution of this book is the close observation of China’s peace-oriented projection of its institutional infrastructure. Some studies characterize China’s developing trajectory as replicating the Western experience or a form of unfair competition. For instance, the “Belt and Road Initiative (B.R.I)” has frequently been labelled as “China’s Marshall Plan” or “active economic sanction”. The author expressed a different view. In contrast to the US Marshall Plan, the B.R.I represents a “peace-seeking policy” aimed at the “mutual optimization of interest” (p.39). The explicit economic focus of the B.R.I marks a defining feature of China’s foreign policy in Central Asia (p.98). The evolution of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) highlights China’s strategic use of multilateralism and its rising confidence as a security provider (p.101). However, the SCO has strictly adhered to the principle of non-interference and avoids over-engagements in regional turmoil (p.96). China’s efforts to establish itself in Central Asia and the Middle East as a soft and economic power (p.28) prioritizes reconciliation and non-military security architectures to ensure stability for economic development (p.41). The author argues that this highlights how China seeks to replace the traditional “balance of power” with “integrated responsibility”, distinguishing its rise through mutual benefit rather than unilateral dominance (p.44, 45).

The monograph is written in a clear, accessible, and straightforward manner. As a China–Eurasia-based product, this book teams scholars from 11 States and documents relevant historical engagements within Eurasia, complementing the Western-centric discourse. It is a valuable reference book for diplomats, policymakers, practitioners in international law, international relations, and area studies.