Engaging China: Fifty Years of Sino-American Relations

The relationship between the United States and China has been a priority for American policy makers and experts since Richard Nixon's 1972 visit. However, the relationship has rapidly deteriorated in recent years, and the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the situation. This book brings together leading China specialists to offer a retrospective on relations between the two countries over the last half-century and consider what might be next. The contributors analyze the relationship from a range of perspectives and highlight the accomplishments and mistakes of engagement, acknowledging the well-earned distrust and frictions that plague the relationship today.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 472 pages
Publication date: 13 July 2021
Publisher: Columbia University Press

The significance of the United States-People's Republic of China relationship has experienced a remarkable surge since Richard Nixon's historic visit in 1972. By the early 21st century, as China's rise became an undeniable reality, most American policy makers and experts regarded bilateral ties with China as the utmost foreign relations priority for the United States. However, in recent years, even before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S.-China relationship has rapidly deteriorated, causing far-reaching consequences for the entire world. This book brings together a distinguished group of China specialists to provide a comprehensive retrospective on relations between the United States and China over the past half-century. The contributors, comprising academics, leaders of China-related non-governmental organizations, and former diplomats and government officials, offer diverse perspectives on the relationship, encompassing political, diplomatic, economic, social, cultural, commercial, educational, medical, and military dimensions. They reassess American engagement with China from the late Mao years to the present, covering leaders from Deng Xiaoping to Xi Jinping. The contributors not only highlight the accomplishments and hard-fought successes of engagement but also acknowledge the mistakes and misunderstandings that have plagued the relationship throughout its history. Recognizing the well-deserved distrust and genuine frictions that persist, they provide a nuanced and balanced analysis of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Multidisciplinary and comprehensive, Engaging China serves as a crucial reevaluation of U.S. policy toward China at a time when the stakes have never been higher.

Weight: 680g
Dimension: 158 x 234 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231201292