Introduction : a strategic vision interrupted -- Encounters with East Asia : inheritance of a strategic perspective -- China : minimum aid and maximum flexibility -- Japan : the father of reverse course policy -- Ebb tide : Acheson takes the helm -- Prelude to the Korean War : applying the strategic concept on the East Asian periphery -- Korea : a labyrinth of ignorance and error and conjecture -- Aftermath of Korea : the end of a strategic vision for East Asia -- Vietnam : my piece has been spoken -- Conclusion : legacies of engagement with East Asia.
