This book offers a thorough geopolitical analysis of modern China through the lens of defensive realism. It uniquely scrutinizes China's "globalness" within the taxonomy of great powers, challenging the common narrative of China as a global power. In doing so, the book presents an empirical-qualitative model to assess China's global power status, encompassing four dimensions: 1) The Great Wall of Technology and Economic Access (Material Power); 2) The Great Wall of Cultural and Intangible Access (Intangible Power); 3) The Great Wall of Political Access and Global Governance (Governance Power); and 4) an analysis of China’s comprehensive power. Drawing from firsthand observations, the book examines China's ascent in the international order, emphasizing its strengths and vulnerabilities. With this, it concludes that China has a global vision and ambition, positioning itself as a quasi-global power. Essential for scholars, policymakers, and global politics enthusiasts, this book is a valuable contribution to existing international relations scholarship.

Francisco José Leandro currently holds the position of Associate Professor with Habilitation at the Faculty of Social Sciences and serves as the Associate Director of the Institute for Global and Public Affairs at the University of Macau, China. His scholarly contributions include authoring The Belt and Road Initiative: An Old Archetype of a New Development Model (2020); The Palgrave Handbook of Globalization with Chinese Characteristics: The Case of the Belt and Road Initiative (2023); Portuguese-speaking Small Island Developing States: The Development Journeys of Cabo Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste (2023); and The Palgrave Handbook on China-Europe-Africa Relations: Legacies and the New International Order (2025), all published by Palgrave Macmillan.