Reimagining America.

FOREIGN opinion of the United States; PUBLIC opinion; SOCIAL perception; FOREIGN relations of the United States; DIPLOMATIC history; WORLD history; PRACTICAL politics; INTERNATIONAL relations

The article chronicles the changes in the Chinese public attitude towards the U.S. Exotic, menacing, open, energetic, independent, modern and rich have been used to describe Chinese perceptions of the U.S. The U.S. is seen as the benign imperialist that forgave loans, sent aid and built missionary schools. Chinese officials, intellectuals and ordinary citizens have looked up to the U.S. with admiration. In the distant past, the country has been seen as the land of possibilities and fulfillment. Some authors have claimed that the Chinese view of the U.S. reflect the need to reaffirm the Chinese identity. Relations between the two countries have undergone many changes as the years pass.