Us-China Relations: Perilous Past, Uncertain Present

This comprehensive assessment of historical and contemporary determinants of Sino-American relations has been brought up to date with full treatment of rising tensions over salient differences since the ascendance of China's dynamic leader Xi Jinping (2012- ). Incoming President Barack Obama (2009-2017) was pressured by China; he responded with his signature rebalance policy of greater US engagement throughout China's periphery. Reacting negatively, Xi Jinping used coercive means and other initiatives to advance at the expense of the United States. Widespread American disappointment prompted calls for tougher actions, and now President Donald Trump's absence of a coherent strategy has added to uncertainty looking forward. Tracing the broad history of the usually conflicted Sino-American engagement, distinguished analyst Robert G. Sutter convincingly shows that strong differences and mutual suspicions persist, only partly overridden by mutual pragmatism that shifts with circumstances. Sutter judiciously considers key domestic and international factors determining the evolution and status of the relationship. As the only book on the subject that combines a unified assessment of the historical evolution, contemporary status, and likely prospects of US-Chinese relations, this balanced and pragmatic study will be an essential resource for all concerned with the globe's most crucial bilateral partnership.

About the Author :
Robert G. Sutterwas an analyst of Asian and Pacific affairs and American foreign policy for the US government for thirty years. He is now Professor of Practice of International Affairs, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University.

Review :
In this latest edition of US-Chinese Relations, Robert Sutter provides a timely analysis of perhaps the most consequential bilateral relationship in international politics. His work is at once informed by a deep understanding of the past and focused on contemporary challenges and opportunities faced by the world's reigning superpower and its rising counterpart. A balanced and insightful account, this is a must read for policy makers, scholars, and students alike during a crucial period of geostrategic transformation in the Indo-Pacific region.--Jingdong Yuan, University of Sydney Robert Sutter has produced an excellent introduction to one of the world's most consequential bilateral relationships. In a single volume, he provides a concise history of US-China relations from the late eighteenth century to the present, followed by a clear-headed forecast of the future. This new edition offers an updated overview of the major issues in the relationship--from trade, human rights, and Taiwan to climate change and international security. Sutter also adds a consideration of analysis of the maritime disputes in East Asia and the prospects for Sino-American relations in the Trump Administration. Consistently balanced and insightful, this is the text I regularly assign in my courses on the relationship between the United States and China.--Harry Harding, University of Virginia Robert Sutter, long recognized as one of the nation's leading analysts and historians of Chinese-American relations, now takes the story through the early months of the Trump administration--to which he does not give high marks for its policies toward East Asia.--Warren Cohen, emeritus, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Sutter delves into the storied past of the US-China relationship and offers an insightful perspective on the complexity of the relationship as well as predict its future trajectory . . . . [His] analysis of the relationship is sober and balanced and his observations penetrating and insightful. The book makes a very useful contribution to better understanding this vitally important but difficult relationship through learning from its tumultuous past.-- "Pacific Affairs" Over the years, Robert Sutter has been among the most knowledgeable of all American specialists on China. In his ambitious new book, Sutter describes the twists and turns of Sino-American relations over the past two centuries. Sutter shows how American and Chinese policymakers have a strong interest in avoiding public discussion of the conflicts between the two countries and the negative aspects of their relationship; he then proceeds to show, skillfully, just what those conflicts have been and will be. This is a sober account, a perceptive look at where the United States and China have been and where they are headed. (Previous Edition Praise)--James Mann, author of About Face: A History of America's Curious Relationship with China, from Nixon to Clinton A useful, sweeping account of the world's most consequential bilateral relationship. -- "The China Journal"