Book excerpt: Australia-Taiwan relations defy easy categorisation. Business and trade links are robust. Both countries support the US-led East Asian order and democracy. Yet, omnipresent pressure from China ensures relations are hard edged and mutually exasperating. In Australia and Taiwan, Joel Atkinson untangles and explains this important Asia-Pacific relationship. He covers history through to the end of the Cold War, the role of Taiwan in Australia’s contemporary relations with China and the US, and bilateral issues such as ministerial visits and friction in the South Pacific. Atkinson breaks new ground with this comprehensive analysis of Australia-Taiwan relations. He draws on numerous interviews conducted in Australia, Taiwan and the South Pacific, archives, newspapers, governmental publications, leaked US diplomatic cables, and Chinese sources.