A Great Wall: Six Presidents and China
Encyclopedia
A Great Wall: Six Presidents and China: An Investigative History (1999
) is a history of international relations
written by journalist Patrick Tyler
. The book details high level relations between the United States
and China
from the Nixon administration to the Clinton Administration. Primarily focused on the actions and motives of members of the president's cabinet and their counterparts in China, the book illustrates the large role personal politics and bureaucratic infighting had on the direction of China policy in the United States. Well received in the popular press, the book garnered mixed reviews in scholarly journals. However, the book won both the Lionel Gelber Prize
and the New York Public Library
's Helen Bernstein Book Award in 2000.
, or Taiwan. Chinese intermediate-range ballistic missile
testing was scheduled during the run-up to Taiwanese elections in March of that year. While not seen as a prelude to invasion, it was clear that the possibility for accidental escalation and war was real. This threat sets what Robert Kaplan
in the New York Review of Books referred to as the somewhat "alarmist" tone for the book. Tyler asserts that war with China was historically very likely at certain flashpoints and remains likely due to the "insoluble problem of Taiwan".
Having established the significance of both the threat threat of war and the relationship between the United States and China, Tyler returns to the history of American relations with China, including covert conflicts and plans for war. During the Kennedy
and Johnson administrations, China was viewed as a necessary check on Soviet expansion. Tyler asserts that Nixon's visit to China
and the subsequent warming of relations were partially the result of Henry Kissinger
's desire to push then Secretary of State
William P. Rogers
out of the sphere of influence
on China policy. Tyler covers the personal infighting in great detail but notes that the outcome was generally positive for both countries.
Tyler is more critical of the Carter
and Reagan
administrations, noting specifically that the ambiguity which Kissinger and Nixon allowed to foment regarding Taiwan was beneficial to both nations, allowing China and the United States to "disagree while insisting that they didn't". However, Tyler reserves a great deal of criticism for the Clinton administration, whose largely humanitarian policies he feels were unsupported by the facts on the ground
. Tyler ends the book where he began, with a "clear [assertion]" that Taiwan is paramount in Sino-American relations.
recommended the book, noting its "vivid detail". The journal Parameters gave a mixed review, praising the detail of the book but lamenting its limited scope. Mark Lagon, in the journal Perspectives on Political Science, savaged the book, calling it gossip-filled and a "slim" contribution to scholarship. Despite these mixed reviews, A Great Wall won both the Lionel Gelber Prize and the New York Public Library's Helen Bernstein Book Award in 2000.
1999 in literature
The year 1999 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*June 19 - Stephen King is hit by a Dodge van while taking a walk. He spends the next three weeks hospitalized...
) is a history of international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
written by journalist Patrick Tyler
Patrick Tyler
Patrick E. Tyler is an author and formerly chief correspondent for the New York Times. He is the author of three books: A World of Trouble: The White House and the Middle East from the Cold War to the War on Terror, A Great Wall: Six Presidents and China, a history of U.S.-China relations since...
. The book details high level relations between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
from the Nixon administration to the Clinton Administration. Primarily focused on the actions and motives of members of the president's cabinet and their counterparts in China, the book illustrates the large role personal politics and bureaucratic infighting had on the direction of China policy in the United States. Well received in the popular press, the book garnered mixed reviews in scholarly journals. However, the book won both the Lionel Gelber Prize
Lionel Gelber Prize
The Lionel Gelber Prize was founded in 1989 by Canadian diplomat Lionel Gelber. The prize is a literary award for the world’s best non-fiction book in English on foreign affairs that seeks to deepen public debate on significant international issues. A prize of $15,000 is awarded to the winner...
and the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
's Helen Bernstein Book Award in 2000.
Overview
A Great Wall begins with a 1996 briefing to President Clinton regarding a burgeoning crisis between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of ChinaRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, or Taiwan. Chinese intermediate-range ballistic missile
Intermediate-range ballistic missile
An intermediate-range ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a range of 3,000–5,500 km , between a medium-range ballistic missile and an intercontinental ballistic missile...
testing was scheduled during the run-up to Taiwanese elections in March of that year. While not seen as a prelude to invasion, it was clear that the possibility for accidental escalation and war was real. This threat sets what Robert Kaplan
Robert D. Kaplan
Robert David Kaplan is an American journalist, currently a National Correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly...
in the New York Review of Books referred to as the somewhat "alarmist" tone for the book. Tyler asserts that war with China was historically very likely at certain flashpoints and remains likely due to the "insoluble problem of Taiwan".
Having established the significance of both the threat threat of war and the relationship between the United States and China, Tyler returns to the history of American relations with China, including covert conflicts and plans for war. During the Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and Johnson administrations, China was viewed as a necessary check on Soviet expansion. Tyler asserts that Nixon's visit to China
1972 Nixon visit to China
U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China was an important step in formally normalizing relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China. It marked the first time a U.S. president had visited the PRC, who at that time considered the U.S. one...
and the subsequent warming of relations were partially the result of Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
's desire to push then Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
William P. Rogers
William P. Rogers
William Pierce Rogers was an American politician, who served as a Cabinet officer in the administrations of two U.S. Presidents in the third quarter of the 20th century.-Early Life :...
out of the sphere of influence
Sphere of influence
In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence is a spatial region or conceptual division over which a state or organization has significant cultural, economic, military or political influence....
on China policy. Tyler covers the personal infighting in great detail but notes that the outcome was generally positive for both countries.
Tyler is more critical of the Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
and Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
administrations, noting specifically that the ambiguity which Kissinger and Nixon allowed to foment regarding Taiwan was beneficial to both nations, allowing China and the United States to "disagree while insisting that they didn't". However, Tyler reserves a great deal of criticism for the Clinton administration, whose largely humanitarian policies he feels were unsupported by the facts on the ground
Facts on the ground
Facts on the ground is a diplomatic term that means the situation in reality as opposed to in the abstract. It originated in discussions of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, where it was used to refer to Israeli settlements built in the occupied West Bank, which were intended to establish permanent...
. Tyler ends the book where he began, with a "clear [assertion]" that Taiwan is paramount in Sino-American relations.
Reception
The book was largely well received in the popular press, with the New York Review of Books praising it as "compelling" and a "powerful statement in defense of pragmatism". Likewise, Foreign AffairsForeign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
recommended the book, noting its "vivid detail". The journal Parameters gave a mixed review, praising the detail of the book but lamenting its limited scope. Mark Lagon, in the journal Perspectives on Political Science, savaged the book, calling it gossip-filled and a "slim" contribution to scholarship. Despite these mixed reviews, A Great Wall won both the Lionel Gelber Prize and the New York Public Library's Helen Bernstein Book Award in 2000.