This book analyzes the structural dynamics of the Sino-American-Japanese triangular relationship by exploring how the 1971 Nixon-Kissinger announcement to pursue rapprochement with the People's Republic of China (PRC), in the context of the overall detente strategy, fundamentally altered the U. S. -Japanese relationship. It argues that the systematic structure of international relations in East Asia during the detente period was similar in significant ways to today's post-Cold War period. Highlighting the importance of China to U. S. policy options towards East Asia enables us to provide a more informed perspective on future directions of the Sino-U. S. -Japanese triangular relationship in the twenty-first century.