A critical examination of the American China policy debate

This thesis is designed to investigate the troubled Sino-American relationship from several different theoretical perspectives, such as Jervis' spiral model, enemy image theory, and a focus on American domestic politics. Such interpretations may assist with evaluation of the situation as there has been a cloud of distrust between the People's Republic and the US since the Tiananmen Incident of 1989. While the People's Republic of China (PRC) is responsible for a significant amount of the tension, this thesis shall focus primarily upon the American role in the relationship.