China and Pakistan have close ties as neighbors, so much so that “Pakistan is a central part of China’s transition from a regional power to a global one,” explains Andrew Small, a fellow with the German Marshall Fund’s Asia Program, in the introduction to The China-Pakistan Axis: Asia’s New Geopolitics. “The country lies at the heart of Beijing’s plans for a network of ports, pipelines, roads and railways….

The three-volume set aims to survey the historical, spatial and human dimensions of Asia’s many connections. The editors move beyond the conventions of modern national boundaries and undertake an interdisciplinary study that focuses on the constant movements and interactions underway in Asia over the centuries.