China Cross Talk

Book excerpt: The biggest untapped market in the world? The last great communist threat? The free-trade partner? The human rights scourge? China Cross Talk provides a front-row seat to the most memorable scenes in the American debate over China policy since 1978. Representing the full spectrum of opinion on this divisive issue, selections range from op-ed articles and commentaries to speeches by leading government officials; from congressional testimony to editorial cartoons. They touch upon the whole range of security, economic, and political issues that have affected the relationship, including the benefits and dangers of diplomatic recognition, managing Taiwan, most-favored-nation status, China's Olympic bids, proliferation, growing Chinese power, and the April 2001 plane collision incident over the South China Sea. As firsthand intellectual history, this anthology allows participants in the debate to speak in their own voices. Spanning a quarter century, it offers readers the chance to see how the dispute has evolved and how even some individuals have changed their positions, sometimes radically. While the book focuses on China policy, the debate is emblematic of the broader conversation America has engaged in over the past century about its proper role in the world. As such, China Cross Talk should interest students of U.S.-China relations and American foreign policy, the policy community, and general readers.