"In March 2000, a package from the U.S. Congress arrived at Shanghai's Fudan University. Inside was an American flag that had flown over the Capitol sent as a gesture of appreciation for Xie Xide, the renowned Chinese scientist who had recently died. Xie had played a key role in fostering cultural and scientific exchanges between the two countries. Stories like this are almost inconceivable today in both the United States and China, as the tone of their bilateral relations has fundamentally shifted."
"Nevertheless, they serve as a reminder of a unique chapter in bilateral relations, however brief it may have been. The book's co-editors, Deborah Davis a leading sociologist on China and Terry Lautz, author of Americans in China, argue that the book underscores the value of finding common ground. They express concern that both Americans and Chinese are losing sight of their shared interests and the benefits that have come from cooperation."
A package from the U.S. Congress arrived at Shanghai's Fudan University in March 2000 containing an American flag flown over the Capitol to honor Xie Xide, a Chinese scientist who helped foster cultural and scientific exchanges. Twelve profiles of Chinese individuals capture an era of optimistic U.S.-China engagement that followed the 1979 establishment of diplomatic relations, including academics, environmental activists, and diplomats such as Ji Chaozhu who interpreted during Nixon's 1972 Beijing visit. The accounts contrast past cooperation with the current period of intense competition and warn of lost shared interests and benefits from collaboration.
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