Liu, a former Chinese foreign service officer who now works as a research fellow at Johns Hopkins U., examines the development of Chinese diplomacy from 1949 to 1994 through the window of the professionalization of the diplomatic corps. Three aspects are of special concern: the evolution of Chinese diplomatic institutions, professional profiles of four generations of Chinese ambassadors, and individual case studies of Chinese ambassadorial diplomacy. Liu finds that the experiential generations changed over time from a overwhelmingly military group, through political appointees, and finally to a fully professional diplomatic corps. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)