Isolating the Enemy: Diplomatic Strategy in China and the United States, 1953-1956

The United States and the People's Republic of China engaged in a tense relationship in the mid-1950s, oscillating between confrontation and conciliation. Tao Wang's book "Isolating the Enemy" provides a fresh perspective on Sino-American relations during this period, highlighting how both countries attempted to isolate their adversary and how Chinese leaders sought to convince American allies to persuade the United States to back down. Wang's analysis of diplomatic maneuvering over a peace settlement in Indochina, an American defense pact with Taiwan, and the anticolonial Bandung Conference challenges the portrayal of Communist states as driven by ideology and reveals that Chinese leaders adopted a pragmatic policy during these crucial years.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 336 pages
\n Publication date: 03 August 2021
\n Publisher: Columbia University Press
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In the aftermath of the Korean War, the United States and the People's Republic of China found themselves in a delicate and tense standoff. Their relations oscillated between confrontation and conciliation, heightening tensions while also initiating peace efforts. Tao Wang presents a fresh perspective on Sino-American relations during the mid-1950s, contextualizing the two formidable powers within their global sphere. Through his analysis, Wang unveils how both the United States and China pursued a strategy of isolating their adversaries, delving into how Chinese and American leaders perceived and responded to each other's tactics. While the Eisenhower administration's policy aimed to contain China, Washington occasionally overestimated Chinese aggression, causing concern among allies and neutral states. Sensitive to the divisions within the Western camp, Chinese leaders endeavored to persuade American allies to exert pressure on the United States to back down. Wang meticulously examines diplomatic maneuvering surrounding a peace settlement in Indochina, an American defense pact with Taiwan, and the anticolonial Bandung Conference, highlighting how political pressure compelled American leaders to make concessions. He challenges the portrayal of Communist states as solely driven by ideology, demonstrating that Chinese leaders adopted a pragmatic approach during these critical years.

Drawing upon a wealth of archival material from China, Taiwan, Russia, Vietnam, Britain, and the United States, including reclassified Chinese Foreign Ministry documents, Isolating the Enemy offers a novel insight into Chinese diplomacy during the 1950s and U.S. foreign policy under the Eisenhower administration. Through a nuanced portrayal of Sino-American interactions, Wang provides a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics that shaped the relationship between these two superpowers during a pivotal period in world history.

\n Weight: 472g\n
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 20 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780231198172\n \n