Interpreting U.S. ChinaTaiwan Relations presents an uptodate multidisciplinary approach to this often troublesome relationship through essays written by experts in the fields of political science economics military science history and communications. It begins with a focus on the relationship between the U.S. and China as China presses forward with new development while the United States encourages a balance of power in East Asia. It evaluates the successes and failures of the relationship and the forces behind the stands that they take that feed the stress of the relationship. The second group of essays deals with the relationship between China and Taiwan. They examine the recent changes and tentativeness surrounding the situation caused by the death of Deng Xiaoping and the social and economic problems of China yet communicate a tremendous optimism that a breakthrough will occur in the future. The final essays explore the evolution of Chinas perceptions of its international environment as it begins to understand and respond to external circumstances better and more positively.