On China
On China is a 2011 non-fiction book by Henry Kissinger, former United States Secretary of State. Kissinger, one of the most famous diplomats of the 20th century, is well known for the role he played in Sino-American relations during the Nixon administration and in particular the 1972 Nixon visit to China.
Thus, his book focuses on Chinese history through the lens of foreign policy considerations, and in particular his own brand of realpolitik. It focuses on how Sino-Soviet border clashes forced China to consider a new opening of relationship with the United States. The book also discusses the complex decision-making of Chairman Mao Zedong during the Taiwan Strait crisis. The preliminary negotiations began through the ambassadorial levels in Warsaw, Bucharest and through Yahya Khan in Pakistan. In addition to pure history and discussion of foreign policy, the work is also something of a personal narrative of Kissinger's experiences in China.
