[5] Yan studied with major figures of the Realist school of international relations, including Kenneth Waltz.

[7]: 64  He worked for several years at Tsinghua University, including as the dean of its Institute for International Relations.

[7]: 64 As of at least 2024, Yan is the secretary general of the World Peace Forum, which is one of China's most important international relations conferences.

[8] The book became significant among Chinese audiences for its argument that China should prioritize its own national interests in foreign policy, instead of the more traditional arguments that China should prioritize class interests or proletarian internationalism in its foreign policy.

[9] Yan writes that in the tianxia system of imperial China, rulers relied on humane authority (in contrast to tyranny and military force) to win the hearts and minds of the people.