With generous support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (Grant No. 16-1512-150509- IPS), the Griffith Asia Institute is able to collaborate successfully with Tsinghua University's Institute of International Relations to carry out a research project, entitled, ‘Understanding the Rise of China through the Eyes of Chinese IR Scholars’. This project intends to bridge the perception gap between China and the outside world. This special issue features four exemplary works from ‘The Griffith-Tsinghua Conference: Chinese Debate International Relations’, hosted by Tsinghua University on 11–12 December 2016.