American Images of China

This book shows how the notion of the Chinese as aspiring Americans helped shape American opinion and policies toward Asia for almost twenty years. This notion derived less from the reality of Chinese historical or cultural similarities than from a projection of American values and culture; in the American view, fueled by various political, economic, and religious interests, China was less a geographical entity than a symbol of American hopes and fears.

T. Christopher Jespersen is Assistant Professor of American Diplomatic History at Clark Atlanta University.