The key issue in the protection of overseas interests is the imbalance between authority and capacity，the impetus between the home and host state during the era of globalization，and the proper distribution of global security resources. Based on attitudes toward the Westphalian system，the protection of overseas interests can be divided into four types. They are the diplomatic protection model，the legalized enforcement model，the dominant host state model，and the global security assemblage model. There are considerable differences in the coerciveness and the major agents of the four types. In the contemporary international system，the leading powers can employ all types of protection，whereas there are shortages for other powers. From a comparative perspective，the protection of China’s overseas interests is less coercive and more diversified，and these features have been improving.