Negotiating with the Enemy

"During World War II, China was America's ally against Japan. By 1949, the two countries viewed each other as adversaries and soon faced off in Korea. For the next two decades, Beijing and Washington were bitter enemies. On several occasions - Taiwan in 1954 and 1958, and Vietnam in 1965 - the nations were again on the verge of direct military confrontation. However, even as relations seemed at their worst, the process leading to a rapprochement had begun. In this account of Cold War politics and secret negotiations, Negotiating with the Enemy chronicles the path toward a new era of Chinese-American relations. The book makes full use of the available archival materials in China and the United States to shed new light on the remarkable period. It traces the ups and downs of a complex relationship during a dangerous quarter century. It closes with the dramatic episodes of Ping-Pong diplomacy in spring 1971, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's secret trip to Beijing in July 1971, and President Richard Nixon's historic 1972 meeting with Chairman Mao Zedong. Here is a riveting and well-researched account of high-stakes diplomacy between superpowers."--Jacket.