摘要
This study covers a short time span starting from 1978, the year when the Reform and Opening-up was initiated in China's Mainland, up to 2014. During the past thirty odd years, the ideal of ＂emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts＂ （实事求是,解放思想） has instilled new energy and vigor into the country＇s academic research. Like other fields of research, the historic study of American diplomacy owes much of its prosperity to the Reform and Opening-up policy. According to the disciplinary classifications set forth by the Ministry of Education, the study of American diplomatic history merely constitutes an important branch of American history studies and can barely be labeled as a tier-three discipline. However, Sino- American relations have been on the very top of China＇s diplomatic agenda, and the study of US diplomacy has great practical significance, especially in aiding state decision-making. Therefore, Chinese scholars in the field of diplomatic history have paid much more attention to the US than other countries. The research field has made unparalleled progress in the past 30 odd years, generating research findings with unprecedentedly depth and breadth. Nevertheless, there remains ample room for more in-depth inverstigation.
