'Chinese Encounters with America' argues U.S. and China lost shared interests

In March 2000, a package from the U.S. Congress arrived at Shanghai's Fudan University. Inside was an American flag that had flown over the Capitol — sent as a gesture of appreciation for Xie Xide, the renowned Chinese scientist who had recently died. Xie had played a key role in fostering cultural and scientific exchanges between the two countries.

Stories like this are almost inconceivable today in both the United States and China, as the tone of their bilateral relations has fundamentally shifted. But in the new book, Chinese Encounters with America: Journeys That Shaped the Future of China , profiles of 12 Chinese individuals remind us of the optimism that once defined the two countries' engagement. This optimism has faded away in recent years.

The dozen profiles in this edited v