Preface by George H. W. Bush xiii
Introduction: Bush's China Diary--What You Are About to Read xvii
Acknowledgments xxiii
Cast of Primary Characters xxvii
CHAPTER ONE: "Everybody in the United States Wants to Go to China" 1
October 21 to November 1, 1974
CHAPTER TWO: "Public Posture versus Private Understanding" 49
November 2 to November 21, 1974
CHAPTER THREE: "We Must Not Capitulate on Matters This Fundamental" 88
November 22, 1974, to January 15, 1975
CHAPTER FOUR: "Much of the World Depends on the United States" 145
February 6 to March 9, 1975
CHAPTER FIVE: "When It Is a Matter of Principle It Really Means Do It Their Way" 193
March 10 to April 15, 1975
CHAPTER SIX: "We Do Have Principles and It Is Time We Stood Up for Them" 253
April 16 to June 2, 1975
CHAPTER SEVEN: "There Is No Credit in This Work" 308
June 3 to July 4, 1975
CHAPTER EIGHT: "I Have Studied Chinese" 348
July 5 to August 22, 1975
Bush in China: The Making of a Global President 397
Notes 465
An Essay on Sources 485
Index 495
Photographs follow page 192

Available in print for the first time, this day-by-day diary of George H. W. Bush's life in China opens a fascinating window into one of the most formative periods of his career. As head of the United States Liaison Office in Beijing from 1974 to 1975, Bush witnessed high-level policy deliberations and daily social interactions between the two Cold War superpowers. The China Diary of George H. W. Bush offers an intimate look at this fundamental period of international history, marks a monumental contribution to our understanding of U.S.-China relations, and sheds light on the ideals of a global president in the making.
In compelling words, Bush reveals a thoughtful and pragmatic realism that would guide him for decades to come. He considers the crisis of Vietnam, the difficulties of détente, and tensions in the Middle East, while lamenting the global decline in American power. He formulates views on the importance of international alliances and personal diplomacy, as he struggles to form meaningful relationships with China's top leaders. With a critical eye for detail, he depicts key political figures, including Gerald Ford, Donald Rumsfeld, Deng Xiaoping, and the ever-difficult Henry Kissinger. Throughout, Bush offers impressions of China and its people, describing his explorations of Beijing by bicycle, and his experiences with Chinese food, language lessons, and Ping-Pong.
Complete with a preface by George H. W. Bush, and an introduction and essay by Jeffrey Engel that place Bush's China experience in the broad context of his public career, The China Diary of George H. W. Bush offers an unmediated perspective on American diplomatic history, and explores a crucial period's impact on a future commander in chief.

Jeffrey A. Engel teaches history and public policy at Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government & Public Service and is associate director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs. He is the author of Cold War at 30,000 Feet.