2008 finds China a global power on the rise. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) appears to be acting as a responsible member of the international community, whether on the United Nations Security Council or on humanitarian missions around the globe. The purpose of this course is to improve our understanding of the interaction—primarily confrontation—between the United States and the PRC during the long Cold War. In particular, the course will explore how the two countries dealt with each other in diplomatic, military, and ideological terms. Individual cases will include the Korean War, advent of nuclear weapons, Taiwan Straits Crises, Vietnam War, Shanghai understanding of 1972, and the denouement of the Cold War.