ABSTRACT
The historical evolution of US–China relations had begun in 1784 when The Empress of China sailed to Guangzhou, a province in southern China. According to the US Department of State’s Office of the Historian, in the 18th century, all trade with Western nations were conducted through Guangzhou. The twists and turns in relations since that time have caused policymakers, strategists, and scholars in both the United States and China to try to establish firmer bases for cooperative relations or at least establish better understanding of the different elements in the relationship. The resulting frameworks and forecasts often proved useful in comprehending relations and motivating policy; however, other times they were misleading or flawed by achieving mediocre results.
