Source: Washington

The Taiwan Strait.  The Korean War and Vietnam. The bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. The Sino-U.S. aircraft collision incident.  U.S.-China relations have witnessed significant tensions and conflict.

Sensitivities and suspicions between Washington and Beijing have heightened as China’s global power and influence have grown. Arguably, this new international order could increase the chances of a political-military crisis—or perhaps outright conflict—between the two powers. Managing Sino-American Crises brings together Chinese and American officials and participants in past confrontations, as well as scholars from both countries, to explore the changing features of crisis behavior and their implications for defusing future encounters. Using both conceptual analysis and historical case studies, the essays in this volume identify specific problems and opportunities that will likely confront both countries in the future and propose recommendations that will improve the effectiveness of crisis management skills between the United States and China.

About the Authors

Michael D. Swaine is a senior associate with the China Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Zhang Tuosheng is director of the research department and senior fellow at the China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies.

Danielle F. S. Cohen was a junior fellow with the China Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace from 2005-2006.

Advance Praise

"This is an important and timely book that sheds new light on what will be the most important strategic relationship of the 21st century. By examining the similarities and divergence between Chinese and American approaches to crisis management over the past fifty years, this study produces insights which could literally mean the difference between peace and war in future crises. The rich historical detail, combined with the unique perspectives of both practitioners and scholars, make this volume invaluable for both policymakers and students of US-Chinese relations."
—James B. Steinberg, Dean, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin, and former deputy national security advisor to President Bill Clinton

"This volume is rich in insights ... Swaine's essays, and the case studies that they bracket, deserve a wide audience and careful consideration within China and without."
—The China Quarterly