從1948年底到1949年底，是中國局勢急速惡化的一年，國民政府接連損失了整個東北以及大部分的華北地區。迫於局勢與壓力，蔣介石不得已再度下野。蔣介石的下野，等於意味著國民黨在中國大陸已經毫無希望。接替馬歇爾成為美國國務卿的艾其遜，甫上任即面對到此種局勢，因此對艾其遜來說，對華政策成為其國務卿任內最棘手的問題之一。由於艾其遜在國務院中任職多年，因此國務院內部對國民政府的不良印象對他有深刻的影響。走馬上任後，切斷與國民政府間的關係，成為艾其遜對華政策的基本路線，對華政策白皮書的發表極為此種路線的具體呈現。但除了徹底斷絕與國民政府關係方面有果斷的決定外，對華政策的其他部分，艾其遜並未展現任何成果。此外，艾其遜個人的特質以及國會內部兩黨間的政治鬥爭，使得他與國會間水火不容。本文之焦點，主要在討論艾其遜再醞釀其對華政策時，面對何種國內外情勢，以及其個人的特質與成見，對其對華政策造成的影響。
Chinese situation is deteriorating in the period from the end of 1948 to the end of 1949, Nationalist has lost whole Manchuria and the most northern China. President Chiang resigned again under the pressure of worsen situation. Chiang's resignation means that the Nationalist is hopeless in Mainland China. Dean Acheson is facing the chaos in China, when he is appointed to be George Marshall's successor, become the U.S. Secretary of State. Cutting off the relations between U.S. and Nationalist China has been the basic route of China policy after his inauguration because he is influenced by the preconception of China in the Department of State, and China White Paper in 1949 is the embodiment of the route. Besides cutting off the relations between Nationalist, however, Acheson does not get any accomplishment in other aspects of his China Policy. Acheson is not concordant with the Congress either, because his personality and the confrontation between Republican and Democratic in the Congress. This paper will discussed that in the process of Acheson's China Policy developed, how the situation both internal and international, Acheson's personality, and his preconception of China, influence his final decision.
