At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the once numerous pronouncements of a coming conflict with China have been muted as both countries face new challenges. The contributors to this insightful volume discuss some of the most critical issues in contemporary U.S.-China relations and provide historical and cultural perspectives on these issues. The importance of every major development in U.S.-China relations is discussed, from the success of Chinese economic reform and the rise of civil society to the EP-3 collision and the Taiwan Strait issue. While not all contributors have the same interpretation of events or conception of their implications, this volume provides a balanced, non-partisan account that presents readers with a brief and comprehensive summary of the issues at the forefront of the debate over the future of U.S.-China relations.