China threat has been one of hotly debated topics since the early 1990s, and this book is an effort to test the China threat thesis. The author argues that a test of the China threat thesis requires addressing two fundamental questions: whether China has the capabilities to challenge the international system and whether China has the motivations to do so. This book will offer a systematic study of Chinas foreign policy motivations by resorting to an image approach. The conclusion as to whether China is a status quo or a revisionist country will be reached by exploring how consideration of national interests and how Chinas perceptions of key characters of the U.S. affect Chinas foreign policy orientation. A summary of the dominant Chinese images of the U.S. will also contribute to understanding Chinas motivations vis-a-vis the U.S.