"The United States and China offers the first comprehensive synthesis of the history of U.S.-Chinese relations from initial contact to the present. Balancing the modern (1784-1949) and contemporary (1949-) periods, Dong Wang retraces centuries of interaction between two of the world's great powers from the perspective of both sides. She examines state-to-state diplomacy, as well as economic, social, military, religious, and cultural interplay within varying national and international contexts. As China itself continues to grow in global importance, so does the U.S.-Chinese relationship, and this book provides an essential grounding for understanding its past, present, and possible futures."--p. [4] of cover.