Prologue; Preface; Chapters 1-2 Summary and Analysis

Preface:

The preface to On China begins with an explanation of Henry Kissinger's role in the U.S. government and his relationship with the Chinese people and their government. Kissinger presents an insider's view into the occurrences that took place at that time. Kissinger also states that the primary focus of the book is to record the interaction between the Chinese and American governments since 1949 when the People's Republic of China was established. Kissinger has kept records of his conversations with high level Chinese officials and using those notes was able to create this book.

"Forty years ago almost to the day, President Richard Nixon did me the honor of sending me to Beijing to reestablish contact with a country central to the history of Asia with which America had had no high-level contact for...