U.S.-China Cold War Negotiation Records and Analysis, 1949-1972

Yafeng Xia's book 'Negotiating with the Enemy' analyzes the record of diplomatic communications between the United States and the People's Republic of China from 1949 to 1972. The work details the formalistic and often propagandistic ambassadorial talks, particularly from 1955 to 1970, which occurred despite high enmity. It argues these contacts provided crucial understanding that enabled the normalization of relations after 1971.

Use Cases

• Analyze diplomatic communication patterns and strategies based on the description of formalistic and ritualistic talks.
• Study the evolution of bilateral relations based on the described timeline of contacts from 1949 to the Nixon visit.
• Model negotiation dynamics in adversarial contexts based on the described need for careful posturing and information gathering.
• Examine the role of sustained dialogue in crisis prevention based on the argument that talks helped avert the worst calamities.

Strengths

• Analysis is based on a detailed historical record covering a 23-year period (1949-1972).
• Focuses on a specific and sustained series of diplomatic interactions, the ambassadorial talks from 1955 to 1970.
• Provides a book-length scholarly treatment with 326 pages of analysis.

Limitations

• The underlying primary data (e.g., meeting transcripts, cables) is not directly provided; the dataset is a secondary analysis.
• Row count and specific data structure are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Yafeng Xia, Indiana University Press

Collection Method

Scholarly historical analysis of diplomatic records.

Time Range

1949-1972

Geography

United States, People's Republic of China