傳統外交史研究與近代民族國家的興起密切相關，長處於紮實的檔案功夫，短處則在於民族主義過強及太過注重上層政治，二十世紀中期歐美遂有朝向國際關係史轉型的呼籲，試圖以超越民族主義的寬闊視野，以及探討外交與內政的關聯性等取向，回應各界對外交史研究的批判。然而近二十年來後現代主義興起，批判了現代歷史學種種弊端，包括歷史與民族國家的密切關係，嚴重鬆動了外交史的根基。近年來全球化的發展，促使學界注意到全球事務中，在國家之上與國家之下的行為者扮演的重要角色，更進一步動搖了傳統外交史研究的基礎，逼使歐美外交史學界進行深刻的反省與檢討。臺灣的外交史研究多年來一直處於低迷狀態，似應面對各種批評，參照歐美同行的意見，對過去研究的種種問題做出反省，並思索可能的方向。若然，全球化對外交史研究的衝擊，或有可能由危機轉變為轉機，成為重生的契機；否則，外交史研究只有進一步的沒落。筆者初步認為臺灣的外交史研究可以朝三個方向發展，一、以修正後的觀點繼續傳統外交史主題的研究，二、探索近代中國全球化的歷程，三、以東亞視角重新詮釋近代中外關係。

Modern diplomatic historiography is inextricably linked with the modern nation-state. The great strength of traditional diplomatic historians was their determination to record a formal narrative of what actually happened. Their principal weaknesses were their national bias and concern with high politics. In the 20th century, following the growth of social and economic history, diplomatic history has been relegated to a narrow and old-fashoioned specialization. In the last twenty years diplomatic history has been stormed again by postmodernism which shakes up the historiography based on archives. Now, diplomatic history is facing the trend of globalization which links the nation to transnational and global development. Facing these trends a reconsideration of diplomatic history from a perspective less tightly bound to perception of the nation as the container of modern Chinese history is necessary. The orientations to modern Chinese diplomatic history being proposed here, carry on traditional topic research with a broader point of view, explore the history of globalization of modern China, and explain modern Sino-foreign relations from a perspective of the development of East Asia as a whole.