Sino-American Relations - Coursework Example

Sino-American Relations Agreeably, it is difficult to describe the nature of this relationship since the two countries do not consider each other a friend or a foe; however, they consider the relations to be very important (Guo and Baogang 2010, p.2). It is viewed as a cooperative and competitive coexistence (Shambaugh 2013, p.20). During the 1940s, the Chinese leaders were interested in possible economic assistance from America but thereafter, Sino-American relations became hostile as China considered the U.S imperialists and the common enemy of individuals worldwide. In 2000, the U.S President Bill Clinton signed the U.S-China relations act that allows Beijing to have trade relations with America and paving the way for China to join the World Trade Organization a year later. The U.S. and China can be viewed as strategic partners or competitors. The two countries are locked in a great power competition and their primary goals greatly differ. That is, the U.S is more concerned with keeping its top position in the East Asia, but China is interested in reclaiming it. China is reluctant to allow America to take the dominant role in the Asia Pacific regional security structure (Koehn and Cheng 1999, p.115). This paper explores the main factors that promoted the development of the U.S-China relations. Ideally, what makes it possible for the United States and China to sustain their relationship is their shared national interests but not their political ideology. On one side, the U.S are not aware of the China’s intention and so they are worried particularly on the possible challenges that China poses to it economically, militarily as well as politically. America wants to remain the world’s superpower and it considers China’s rapid growth as a threat. On the other hand, China believes that America is more concerned with facilitating a revolution to overturn their communist rule (Guo and Baogang 2010, p.2). Therefore, it can be agreed that the relationship between the United States and China is as a result of their shared interest about the Soviet Union (Harding 2000, p.4). The main factors that triggered the development and strengthened the United States-China relationship include foreign policy coordination, security cooperation, and economic and cultural ties. During 1970s, China supported many American foreign policy goals including a strong NATO, and U.S diplomacy in the Middle East and some developing countries. Later on, Chinese leaders started to form an anti-Soviet union policy. American cooperation with the Chinese in addressing the soviet challenge was affected by the level of soviet threat to the interests of the two countries. China became reluctant to work with the U.S on non-Soviet foreign policy issues and related problems. However, it agreed to support America and as a result, the cooperative U.S-China relationship became a significant supplement to American foreign policy. Initially, Chinese leaders were interested in improving relations with the United States because of the security concerns that originated from the Sino-Soviet border clashes in 1969. Notably, S & T cooperation between the two countries has resulted in increased interdependence (Mayer, Carpes and Knoblich 2014, p.155). Even though the U.S-China security cooperation remains a controversial issue in both nations, there have been attempts to develop defence cooperation, for instance, the United States is coming up with an approach to defence association with the Chinese that is reactive to Soviet pressures. Future development of defence cooperation needs to be shaped by Soviet initiatives that threaten the security concerns of China and the United States. Through security cooperation, America can assist China to train a new generation of scientific talent and it can also help in modernizing of China’s defence firms. More so, security cooperation between the two countries can result in sale of advanced technologies and defence materials such as defensive weaponry to respond to increased Soviet military pressures on them. Another factor that has triggered the development of Sino-American relations is American participation in China’s domestic development. Notably, American participation in China’s social and economic development is the most important way for the U.S to strengthen its ties with China. Agreeably, a strong bilateral relationship offers greater domestic support as opposed to a relationship based only on opposition to soviet hegemony. In addition, U.S policies regarding trade and financing, technology transfers and educational and cultural exchanges have also influenced the growth of its relationship with China. Increased trade relations between the two countries are also a significant factor behind the development of Sino-American relations. Both America and China need each other for their economic growth. This is because America serves as the biggest consumer of Chinese goods and China on the other hand is a great destination for investment for corporate America. Agreeably, China’s significant contribution to the U.S foreign relations explains its rising economic and military power. China’s economy has increased tremendously enabling it to be ranked second in the world. The economy of America and that of China has become more integrated, and currently, China is the largest holder of the U.S treasury bonds used to finance the federal budget deficit (Guo and Baogang 2010, p.4). The growth of China’s economy has led to an expansion of Sino-American relationship to include a wide range of global, bilateral and regional issues. Since China’s economy is the second-largest in the world after that of America, America is seeking China’s cooperation in stabilizing the global economy and supporting global growth. More so, the U.S hopes that China will contribute to peace and stability in Asia Pacific region. The United States focuses on restoring its economic strength and so it concentrates more on issues that affect its economy. It addresses cyber intrusions that are believed to originate from China. In addition, the U.S seeks to promote human rights while engaging with China’s authoritarian communist government (Lawrence 2013, p.1). The United States use these ways to contain China’s rapid growth and encourage China to make significant contribution to the global economy. Furthermore, the Korean War also played a significant role in the development of the relationship between the U.S and China but in a negative manner. Arguably, the Korean War was one of the major factors responsible for setting relations between China and America as it facilitated enmity and mistrust. Notably, this war led to the development of America’s policy of containing the Chinese threat via a trade embargo, travel restrictions, large U.S force deployments, and military alliances with other Asian countries (Sutter 2013, p.56). For instance, the U.S resumed military aid to Taiwan and it remained committed to Taiwan’s defence. After the signing of the U.S-Taiwan Mutual Defence Treaty in 1954, Taiwan became the most debatable issue between American and China. Actually, the Taiwan issue remained a major factor affecting the U.S-China relations until the late 1980s. Some scholars believe that the Taiwan issue is one of the factors that turned the overall Sino-American relationship into confrontation (Shepperd 2013, p.44). According to Shambaugh (2013, p.20), Taiwan is a volatile issue in Sino-American relations. The strategic and economic cooperation with the West facilitated the Sino-American nominalization because it enabled the two countries to focus on how to develop their economy and avoid unnecessary conflicts. As a result, America and China tried to have a normal and beneficial relationship with each other. Moreover, the creation of diplomatic relations strengthened the ties between the two countries. This is because America reaffirmed its agreement that the Peoples Republic was the only legal government of China and that Taiwan was an undeniable part of China (Shepperd 2013, p.48). In addition, pursuing collaboration and evading conflict is another factor that has triggered the development of the U.S-China relations. The Chinese government has assured the U.S that China is a conventional power and it does not intend to interfere with America’s status quo as the only superpower worldwide. Notably, there are many factors promoting the development of the relationship between the United States and China. However, Sino-American relations have faced many difficulties that have made it difficult for the two countries to have a stable and peaceful relationship. Some of these challenges include difficulties over trade relations, and security relations among others. The two countries are struggling to lead in economy and so they place trade restrictions on their partners to have a competitive advantage. In conclusion, the relations between the United States and China never stopped to develop despite the various challenges dividing them. China remains one of the largest trading partners of America. The relationship between the United States and China is characterized by cooperation and completion. These two countries are locked into power struggle and they have conflicting ideologies, that is, America is struggling to remain at the top in the Asian Pacific regional security structure but China is reluctant to allow it. This shows that the Sino-American relations is full of struggles but they are brought together and their relations sustained by their shared interest. Undoubtedly, America and China need each other to survive, that is, America is the biggest consumer of Chinese goods and China is a great destination for investment for corporate America. References Guo, S., and Baogang G., 2010. Thirty years of China-U.S. relations: analytical approaches and contemporary issues, Lanham, Md, Lexington Books. Harding, H., 2000. A Fragile Relationship: The United States and China since 1972, Washington: DC Brookings Institution Press. Koehn, P. H., and Cheng, J. Y. S., 1999. The outlook for US-China relations following the 1997-1998 summits Chinese and American perspectives on security, trade, and cultural exchange, Hong Kong: Chinese University Press. Lawrence, S.V., 2013. U.S.-China Relations: An Overview of Policy Issues, [pdf] Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service Report. Mayer, M., Carpes, M., and Knoblich, R., 2014. The Global Politics of Science and Technology - Vol. 1. New York: Springer. Shambaugh, D. L., 2013. Tangled titans: the United States and China, Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield. Shepperd, T., 2013. Sino-US Relations and the Role of Emotion in State Action: Understanding Post-Cold War Crisis Interactions. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Sutter, R.G., 2013. U.S.-Chinese relations perilous past, pragmatic present. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Read More