ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the US and China have engaged in altercasting to define their role relationships from the beginning to the end of the 20th century. This could take the form of the US adopting a role identity and expecting China to follow suit in choosing a corresponding role identity to form a role relationship, or the US could explicitly choose a role for China to play. The chapter examines two episodes of Sino-US diplomatic relations through the lens of altercasting. The first episode occurs at the dawn of the 20th century as the US emerges as a great power and China is still struggling under the weight of great power intervention. The second episode examines the period surrounding Tiananmen Square, as US altercasting of China as a great power and modernizer was altered in the aftermath of the government crackdown. The future of Sino-US relations is likely to be dominated by continued direct altercasting.
