ABSTRACT
W h e n B i l l C l i n t o n t rave led to Bei j ing to meet w i t h Jiang Z e m i n o n June 27, 1998, Chinese analysts calculated that a decade of f l ux i n great p o w e r p o l i t ics h a d ended. This s u m m i t h a d significance no t o n l y for w h a t the C h i nese regard as the w o r l d ' s mos t i m p o r t a n t b i l a te ra l re la t ionship , b u t also for great p o w e r relat ions i n general a n d for the emerg ing Chinese na t iona l iden t i ty . Af t e r a l l , i t m a r k e d the c u l m i n a t i o n of a great exp los ion o f d i p l o m a c y (waijiao da baozha)1 a m o n g the power s i n 1997-98 as w e l l as a v i n d i ca t ion o f a concentrated effort i n the 1990s to redefine China ' s self-image. C a p i t a l i z i n g o n these currents , Chinese pub l ica t ions became obsessed w i t h the s t ructure a n d balance of relat ions a m o n g China , the U n i t e d States, Japan, a n d Russia w h i l e i n t e rna l debates con t i nued to probe i n to the i r imp l i ca t i ons for China ' s fu ture . A close l o o k at these sources y ie lds t e l l i n g ins ights i n t o China ' s emerg ing w o r l d v i e w .
