"The US-China relationship is the critical driving force of contemporary world order, and public diplomacy is a vital tool for creating better understanding and reducing tensions between the two powers. Based on original research, this book is not only an important contribution to the academic literature on public diplomacy, but also an invaluable guide for analysts and policymakers in explaining why US cultural and education programs have had limited success, and how to improve them." -- Amitav Acharya , Distinguished Professor, American University, USA "In this path-breaking book, Di Wu pulls back the curtain of public diplomacy-as-theory to reveal how public diplomacy-as-practice is actually implemented on the ground. Her extensive documentation and innovative analysis of the two major public diplomacy players in the US pivot to Asia - the US State Department and US Defense Department - vividly demonstrate how different organizational cultures, measurable goals, and resource constraints shape the practice and, ultimately, the meaning of public diplomacy." -- R.S. Zaharna , Professor, American University, USA, and author, Boundary Spanners of Humanity "Exploring public diplomacy strategy and impact from an implementation standpoint, this book offers a fresh perspective on one of the most endemic challenges facing the field." -- Jay Wang , Associate Professor and Director, Center on Public Diplomacy, University of Southern California, USA "This book is a comprehensive and compelling study of American engagement with the PRC.

Detailed in research and insightful in commentary, this book offers a unique approach to one of the most critical relationships of the modern age. A fascinating, important, and timely contribution to public diplomacy scholarship." -- Gary Rawnsley , Professor, University of Nottingham Ningbo China.