Throughout the 20^th century, U.S. relations with China have been a seesaw of ups and downs, according to Jeffrey Wasserstrom, professor of history at the University of California, Berkeley. He described them as American China dreams and American China nightmares in his lecture, "American Misperceptions on China" on Monday night at the International House.

"The American China dream is the dream of China being on the verge of becoming just like us," he said. Chinese stars like NBA player Yao Ming and actor Jackie Chan embody this dream, he said. In addition, events like the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 gave some Americans hope that China was slowly drifting toward democracy.

 The protests involved students, workers and labor activists, some of who called for a democratic reform of the current government. The famous photo "The Unknown Rebel," taken by Jeff Widener, depicts a protestor halting a line of army tanks. While no official casualty number exists, a military crackdown by the Chinese government left hundreds - possibly thousands - dead.

The outcome was no dream, but the ideas of the protests softened some U.S. views on China. Some Chinese students even carried miniature Statues of Liberty through the streets to show their support of the U.S. However, the opposite of the dream is the nightmare.

 "This is the depiction as a dangerous China country that can threaten all that we hold dear. Jeffrey Wasserstrom, professor of history, on the American China nightmareThis is the depiction as a dangerous China country that can threaten all that we hold dear," Wasserstrom said. One example is in 1999, when a group of protestors in China said the U.S. represents all that they were against. This came shortly after a NATO bombing of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, hit the Chinese Embassy, killing three Chinese. The same Statues of Liberty, seen a decade before, were suddenly depicted with swastikas on their tablets. These turbulent cycles of good and bad relations continue today, Wasserstrom said.

"This last year has seen an intense cycle of both very positive, but even more so overwhelmingly negative stories about China," he said. One example is the massive toy recall of the past year, he said. The presence of toxic lead paint on toys made in China posed a risk to young children, who often put toys in their mouths. The media shape American perceptions on China in this way, he said.

 "In looking ahead for the Olympics, we should prepare to see the appearance of either the American China dream or the American China nightmare," he said. The 2008 Olympics will go from August 8-August 24.

Wasserstrom is currently writing "Global Shanghai, 1850-2010." Its release is planned to coincide with the 2010 World's Fair in Shanghai. The book seeks to shed light on the international reputation of Shanghai.