The U.S. policy vis-à-vis China is often a compromise between interests and principle. Case studies of the first half of 20^th century reveal that the U.S. usually attached great importance to China’s domestic order when it made and adjusted its China policy. When China’s domestic order was relatively stable during the Republican era, the U.S. emphasized principle and supported the opposition’s democratic rights. When the domestic order in China was being gravely jeopardized, the U.S. stressed interests and supported the ruling regime to maintain domestic order. Finally, when China’s domestic order was completely out of control, the U.S. usually chose the “let the dust settle” policy.