Since the United States and China officially established diplomatic relations on January 1, 1979, the debate over the relationship between the two countries has been lively and well documented. For those who missed the debate the first time, in China Cross Talk, Scott Kennedy presents another opportunity to revisit this important period, which marked developments between the world's major superpower and the most populous country governed by a communist party. The debate began well before President Jimmy Carter's national address on New Year's Day, telling Americans in a joint communique that the two countries have agreed to recognize each other and establish diplomatic ties. Months before the joint communique was issued, political factions and China experts in the US spoke either for or against establishing diplomatic ties. The New York Times published a cartoon showing an American and a Chinese official extending their arms across the Pacific Ocean trying to reach each other with one foot stepping over an island. That island is Taiwan, suggesting that Taiwan is a casualty in the US-China rapprochement. George Bush, the father of the current US president, who was an ambassador to Beijing, denounced the normalization in an article in the Washington Post, calling it a dangerous move because the US received nothing by normalizing ties with China. One of the steps following normalization was granting China the most-favored nation (MFN) status, in dealing with trade between the two countries. The status was renewed every year following a debate in Congress until China was given permanent MFN status and it joined WTO. The US Congress has been the place where most of the debate over US-China ties takes place. Transcripts regarding the debate, at least the most important ones, are reprinted in the book. The debate ranges from issues such as "Playing the China card?" "US policy toward China and Taiwan" to "Human Rights."

There have been periods in which ties between the two countries were in the prime form. When President Ronald Reagan visited China in April 1984, the two sides experienced an ideal period described as the "Golden Years," which lasted until the massacre of pro-democracy students in Tiananmen Square in June 1988. Reagan visited China after another communique dealing with Taiwan was agreed with Beijing. For scholars, politicians and the White House at that time, the relationship signified remarkable progress, bringing China closer to the US as ally and partner. There were those who disagreed and they made their views known extensively, cautioning the US not to move too fast, warning of dangers ahead. Those scholars included A. Doak Barnett, Donald Zagoria and Gerald Solomon.

In the mid-1980s, the Reagan administration considered selling civilian nuclear reactors and equipment to China, but it couldn't be done without authorization from Congress, which then held a debate with arms experts. The magazine New Republic denounced Reagan's decision, stating he was carrying friendship with China too far, because no one can be sure that China will not sell nuclear weapons to other countries. China at the time had not signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The years following immediately the 1988 Tiananmen Square was a period in which US-China ties spiraled downward to its lowest level. The debate over whether to renew the MFN status for China was strong while commerce and diplomatic ties with China were almost severed. Granting MFN status to China was tied to its respect of human rights. In 1992, President Bill Clinton announced that Congress agreed to extend the status. But Senator Jesse Helms denounced it as a tragic mistake.

The debate over US-China ties extended to China's competition to hold the Summer Olympic Games in 2000. Over mostly US objections, Beijing lost the competition, though it won the bid to hold the games in 2008.

If US-China ties occupy an important part of the debate, Taiwan has remained an issue that stirs debate. Readers can find crucial writings dealing with Taiwan in China Cross Talk. One of the most important developments between Beijing and Washington was the collision of a US surveillance plane and a Chinese aircraft in April 2001. China seized the US plane. The incident caused an extensive debate over the diplomatic ties that have seen many ups and downs.