Description
Book SynopsisTao Wang offers a new account of Sino–American relations in the mid-1950s that situates the two great powers in their international context. He reveals how both the United States and China adopted a policy of attempting to isolate their adversary and explores how Chinese and American leaders perceived and reacted to each other’s strategies.
Trade ReviewIn this richly detailed and sharply focused study, Tao Wang sheds new light on Sino-American relations between 1953 and 1956. The contradictory tendencies in U.S. and Chinese policies that he identifies are highly relevant for anyone who wishes to understand the complex relationship between Washington and Beijing of today. -- Gregg Brazinsky, author of
Winning the Third World: Sino-American Rivalry during the Cold WarDrawing on a wealth of declassified archival materials from the United States, China, and other countries to provide a meticulous, nuanced account of the crises and upheavals in U.S.-China relations in the first few years after the Korean War, Tao Wang offers an excellent overview of the fluctuations in U.S.-China relations in the mid-1950s and how the two countries managed to avoid going to war even in times of great hostility and tension. -- Mark Kramer, director of the Cold War Studies Project at Harvard University
Methodically researched, clearly argued, strongly supported, and well written,
Isolating the Enemy greatly enhances our understanding of the U.S.-China interactions in the mid-1950s and makes significant contributions to the study of Cold War history. -- Hongshan Li, author of
U.S.-China Educational Exchange: State, Society, and Intercultural Relations, 1905–1950Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Abbreviations
Prologue
Introduction
Part I: Geneva Conference 1. Neutralizing Indochina
2. Between the Unattainable and the Unacceptable
Part II: Taiwan Strait Crisis3. Preventing the Mutual Defense Treaty
4. “A Horrible Dilemma”
Part III: Bandung Conference5. Formulating a Zone of Peace
6. A Blessing in Disguise?
Conclusion
Epilogue
Appendix: Countries That Established Diplomatic Relations with the PRC by 1956
Notes
Bibliography
Index