The United States and China: A History of U.S.-China Relations Since the Late Eighteenth Century

The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom: America and China, 1776 to the Present

The History of U.S.-China Relations, 1776-2020, won the 2017 Arthur Ross Book Award.

This book begins with the birth of a new nation and the death knell of an old empire. U.S.-China relations predate the Black Ship Incident of 1853, when U.S. Admiral Mathew Perry led his fleet to demand the opening of Japan's borders. On February 22, 1784, the American three-masted ship, Empress of China, departed from New York Harbor for Guangzhou to engage in trade with China. Since the founding of the United States, the two countries have interacted and influenced each other. China's vast lands not only attracted American settlers, but also the dream of the Chinese market. American ideas inspired the Chinese, leading them to modernization and the outside world. American science, educational theories, and technology flowed into China, while Chinese art, cuisine, and philosophy also flowed out. Since then, the two sides have gradually established the most diverse and important bilateral relationship in the world.

For over two centuries, American and Chinese politicians, businesspeople, missionaries, and women have profoundly influenced the destinies of both countries. From American missionaries who brought the gospel of Christianity and education to China, to the Chinese laborers who built the American West; from the clippers who risked their lives transporting American ginseng to Guangzhou in exchange for Chinese tea, to the American warships that have continuously expanded their naval presence in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, the United States and China have always maintained a dramatic confrontation, and two centuries ago, the pattern of US-China relations was established: ecstatic infatuation and angry disillusionment.

"If one were to describe this incomprehensible complexity in a single model, perhaps the Buddhist concept of reincarnation might be the best. Both sides experience a frenzy of fascination, a surge of hope, followed by disappointment, rejection, and disgust, ultimately returning to mutual succumbency. In the 19th and 20th centuries, American missionaries envisioned converting China into the world's largest Christian nation, while officials in Beijing relied on the United States to protect China from the predations of European imperialism and Japan. Neither hope was realized. As the wheel of history turns, new hopes and inevitable disillusionments alternate."

Drawing on personal letters, diaries, memoirs, government documents, and news reports, the author reconstructs the surprising and tragic ways in which the United States and China have engaged over two centuries. The book repeatedly reaches back, perhaps even centuries earlier, to highlight key events, both to reinforce its thesis and to provide a clear narrative of the relentless cycle of US-China relations.

As the 21st century unfolded, U.S.-China relations gradually shifted from close cooperation to competition. By 2018, when President Trump launched the U.S.-China trade war, the two countries were only a few steps away from hostility. The fate of the world hangs on the U.S.-China relationship, and now is the time to retell this enduring story of the two nations. While writing this book, the author immersed herself daily in the stories of "American and Chinese businessmen, adventurers, missionaries, diplomats, thieves, and revolutionaries who forged the most intricate relationship of any people on Earth." This captivating and gripping work, which took five years to complete, has become an essential work for understanding the history of U.S.-China relations.

Features of this book

★The arguments are pertinent and the observations are sharp. It vividly introduces interesting or little-known stories, making it very readable.

★Broadening the historical perspective, transcending personal memories and national history with a broad vision and grand pattern, attempting to fully outline the history of U.S.-China relations, it is an important and indispensable work in the study of the history of U.S.-China relations.

★Through documents such as personal letters, diaries, memoirs, government documents and news reports, this book reconstructs the surprising and tragic ways in which the United States and China have interacted over the past two centuries, and presents the cyclical and fateful cycle of U.S.-China relations in a clear context.

★The author specially supplemented the Chinese version with the latest developments in U.S.-China relations in 2020.

★Includes dozens of precious and important historical photos, which are of special collection value.

Recommender

Lin Xiaoting (Researcher at the Hoover Institution and East Asian Curator at the Hoover Archives at Stanford University, author of "The Unexpected Country" and "Chiang Ching-kuo's Taiwan Era")
Robert B. Zoellick (former President of the World Bank, U.S. Federal Trade Representative, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State)
Karl W. Eikenberry (Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General)
Evan Osnos (author of "Age of Ambition")
Howard W. French (author of China's Expansion: How History Shaped China's Path to Power and China's Second Continent; Simon Winchester, author of The Genius, the Madman, and the Dictionary Master and The Unquiet Pacific)
Amy Chua (Yale Law Professor, author of "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" and "Triple Burden")
James Mann (author of "A Matter of Face: A History of America's Curious Relationship with China, from Nixon to Clinton")
Arthur R. Kroeber, author of A Unique and Paradoxical Economy: The Truth Behind China's 21st-Century Miracle and editor of the Quarterly Journal of Chinese Economic Studies

Book reviews

"Pan is a first-rate storyteller, and his research into both Chinese and English sources is admirable. He highlights each country's contributions to the other and awakens readers to the often-overlooked significance of China's contributions to American modernization." - The Washington Post

"A reassessment of each nation's contribution to the others... The breadth of history is impressive."—Kirkus Review

"Pan Wen's narrative is remarkable, exploring not only the political and diplomatic aspects of the relationship but also the cultural aspects of the relationship between the two countries. For example, missionaries and businessmen introduced American art to China, while China also began to have a greater presence in American film, literature, cuisine, spirituality, and innovation." - Booklist, the journal of the American Association of Libraries

"This book recounts countless historical milestones of two of the world's most powerful nations and transforms them into a vivid, engaging story."—Publishers Weekly

"The book's strength lies in revealing the cumulative effects of recurring patterns through its deftly drawn characters. …
Pan Wen reminds us that we are dealing with a love-hate relationship that dates back to the years after the American Revolution." - Financial Times

"Veteran journalist Pan Wen's 'America and China: A History of U.S.-China Relations Since the Late 18th Century' is a good place to start. This book meticulously analyzes the love-hate relationship between the two superpowers over more than 200 years." - The Diplomat

"This book is particularly timely because it takes readers on a grand historical adventure, exploring the recurring cycle of love and hate at a time when politicians in both countries are focused solely on hatred." -- NPR.org

"An excellent book."—The Atlantic

"Pan Wen gives us the most comprehensive, vivid, and even-handed account of the world's most important diplomatic relationship. He warns us of the dangers of getting it wrong, and he has faith in our ability to handle it properly. The writing, the research, and especially the judgment are first-rate."—Evan Osnos, author of the National Book Award-winning "Age of Ambition"

"An important new narrative in the history of U.S.-China relations... Thoroughly researched and vividly told... If the new leadership in Washington wants to understand the broader history of both the United States and China, I can't think of a better place to start."—Howard W. French, The Wall Street Journal

“Trump (or his next secretary of state) will find much to advise in this timely, comprehensive, and informative book.”—Simon Winchester, The New York Times Book Review

"With good judgment and a deeply sympathetic imagination, Mr. Pan brings to life a cast of fascinating characters. As the reviewer, I was delighted and surprised by Mr. Pan's clear and fair assessment of a flawed but deeply sincere soldier-statesman like Chiang Kai-shek, who, we must know, struggled to unify and modernize the country while simultaneously fighting a desperate battle against the Japanese... Mr. Pan has a keen eye for interesting characters and captivating quotes."—Aram Bakshian Jr., The Washington Times

"This is the best book ever written about the two-hundred-year history of U.S.-China relations. Pan tells this rich and varied story through fascinating personal stories—Americans, Chinese, and Chinese Americans. At the same time, he deftly explains the transformations, tensions, and tragedies that define the relationship between governments. His research is meticulous, and he balances the various interpretations with a keen eye and deft touch."—Robert B. Zoellick, former President of the World Bank, U.S. Federal Trade Representative, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State

"A blockbuster. 'America and China: A History of U.S.-China Relations Since the Late Eighteenth Century' is beautifully written, wide-ranging, erudite, lively, and filled with fascinating stories. It is a timely and important book written by one of the most distinguished and insightful experts on China working today."—Amy Chua, Professor of Law at Yale, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, The Triple Burden, and Package, author: "If you want a book about U.S.-China relations, choose Wen Pan's America and China: A History of U.S.-China Relations Since the Late Eighteenth Century. Thoroughly researched and grounded in history, this rich narrative is filled with fascinating anecdotes. Wen Pan's intellect, experience, and passion are unparalleled, making him the perfect person to undertake this ambitious task—and he has skillfully lived up to the expectations and delivered a masterpiece."—Karl W. Eikenberry, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General

"For more than two centuries, China and the United States have been locked in a tight embrace. Goods, ideals, hopes, and delusions have flown back and forth, transported by a cast of eccentric but strong-willed individuals. Through thorough research and vivid writing, Pan Wen brings this rich story to life, showcasing two of the world's most productive and consequential relationships."—Arthur R. Kroeber, author of China's Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know and editor of China Economic Quarterly

"Pan Wen has always been one of the best journalists on China. In this book, he goes even further, tracing the entire history of the U.S.-China relationship. Reading this book will help you understand how today's debates about China are both a continuation of and the origins of similar debates in the 19th and 20th centuries. This book provides the perspectives we need to think about the past and future of U.S.-China relations."—James Mann, author of About Face: A History of America's Curious Relationship with China, from Nixon to Clinton

2021-12-08

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