What is the main conflict in On China by Henry Kissinger?

The majority of the text regarding the government centers around Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Mao sought to tear down the ancient culture and strengthen it politically. Deng sought to modernize the country after Mao left it in ruins.

Kissinger was part of an elite team that reestablished US-Sino relations. The author details the relationships between the US and China from the birth of the People's Republic of China in 1949 to present day.