This book investigates the complex and evolving relationship between the United States and China from the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949 to the mid-1990s. Rosemary Foot, a distinguished scholar of international relations, draws upon extensive archival research and primary source materials to analyze the shifting dynamics of power, ideology, and national interest that have shaped this critical bilateral connection. The work presents a nuanced argument about how perceptions of power and strategic imperatives have driven American foreign policy towards China, often in response to domestic political considerations and global geopolitical shifts.

Rosemary Foot's "Practice of Power" is recognized as a significant contribution to the study of US-China relations, offering a detailed historical account grounded in rigorous research. Scholars have noted its comprehensive scope, covering a pivotal period of evolving global politics and the establishment of a complex, often tense, relationship. The book is valued for its analytical depth in dissecting the interplay of power, perception, and policy that characterized American engagement with China during the Cold War and its immediate aftermath.