A Milestone as well as a Millstone: The Jiang-Clinton Summit

Abstract

During the recent Jiang-Clinton summit, symbolism was used by the Chinese president to a certain extent, which gained the attention of the Clinton administration but was largely ignored by the American public. Facing two different audiences, domestic and foreign, the Chinese goals of the summit were more symbolic and strategic, while the American goals were more specific. This article examines in detail the gains and losses of both countries in the summit, and also analyzes the impact of the summit on Asian security and American domestic politics. It concludes with predictions for the Sino-U.S. relationship in the future.