'Ariane Knüsel delivers a compelling historical account of how Switzerland became a key hub for Chinese foreign policy, commercial interests and intelligence operations in Europe during the Cold War. This is a must-read for anyone interested in Sino-European relations at the intersection of trade, human rights, intelligence and Cold War politics.' Christian F. Ostermann, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars 'This is a profoundly important book with a relevance that extends beyond its Cold War focus up to the present day. Drawing on a unique set of sources, the focus on Chinese espionage in Switzerland soon expands to encompass a thorough exploration of the meaning of neutrality, the decisive interests of trade, and the level of inter-state competition that existed within the communist world as much as in the West. This is a refined, multi-layered work which opens up new terrain for reconsidering international relations during the Cold War.' Giles Scott-Smith, Roosevelt Chair in New Diplomatic History, Leiden University 'Knüsel's book makes a welcome contribution to the study of ChineseEuropean relations during the Cold War. It is based on deep research into Swiss and Chinese archival sources and a solid grasp of the secondary literature on China's foreign relations and Cold War history. It is clearly written and well organized. Knüsel's volume remains a valuable addition to the study of Chinese foreign policy and Cold War history.' Qiang Zhai, Journal of Chinese History ' an important and welcome contribution to the history of the global Cold War.' Thoralf Klein, H-Soz-Kult