This work investigates how colonial Australia functioned as a critical geopolitical and economic nexus between the British and Chinese Empires from the late eighteenth century onward. Benjamin Mountford, a historian specializing in global and imperial history, utilizes archival records and diplomatic correspondence to reconstruct the early interactions between these three powers. The book argues that Australia was not merely a peripheral colony but a significant site where imperial interests, trade networks, and migration policies intersected to shape broader Pacific relations.

Historians recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of colonial Australia's role in global imperial networks. Scholars frequently cite the book for its ability to synthesize complex diplomatic history into a coherent narrative of Pacific engagement.