America’s China Gamble

This timely book provides a broad but incisive overview of US policy toward the People's Republic of China from 1949 until the present. Paul J. Smith argues that any conflict or war between the two nations would have devastating global consequences, proposing a mutually beneficial path forward.

Smith examines six distinct, discrete and discernible time phases in which the United States has practiced different types of engagement, covering comprehensive containment, geopolitical convergence, transformational engagement and, finally, competitive engagement. From the Cold War, to the Tiananmen protests to the September 11 attacks, the book demonstrates the trajectory of Sino–American relations throughout global crises. It further reviews the relationship between the US and China in its most dangerous phase yet, citing their mutual possession of nuclear stockpiles and combined ownership of a third of the global economy. In its conclusion, the book outlines a compelling framework to preserve peace and sustain national interests.

America’s China Gamble is a timely resource for students and researchers in international relations, security studies, Asian studies and political science. Its extensive primary sources and research evidence will greatly benefit analysts, policymakers and specialists in US–China relations, foreign policy and international security.