Policy memo to the President on Sino-American relationships - Essay Example

Policy memo to the President on Sino-American relationships Sino-American relations policy memo Introduction The 21st century Sino-American relationships offer both challenges and opportunities for both countries. China has embarked on aggressive economic restructuring and growth measures that stimulate the free flow of goods and enhance technology in order to compete globally with leading export countries like the United States (Shambaugh, 2013). China has eliminated legislative and administrative hurdles that hinder free trade and its foreign policies are geared at economic development and cooperation. China population is five times larger than that of the US, and consistently reported an average of 7 percent growth in Gross domestic product over the last few years. In addition, it is worth noting that China is currently the largest trading nation globally and the US offers China the largest export market (Shambaugh, 2013). Challenges the USA is facing in East Asia One of the greatest challenges facing the US is possibility of nuclear attacks from defiant North Korea and similar attacks on US allies such as South Korea and Japan. The United States bilateral partnerships with East Asia nations like Japan aim at defending such nations in case of military confrontation from hostile neighbors (Shambaugh, 2013). Another challenge facing the US in East Asia is the increased integration and cooperation of East Asia countries in trade and formation of regional economic blocs that determine the trade flows in the region (Lin & Roy, 2010). The rise of China as an economic and military power has dwindled the influence of United States in geopolitical issues affecting East Asia. China has the potential to influence East Asia trading activities and determine the capacity of the US to find strategic partners and allies in the region (Shambaugh, 2013). Nationalism, unresolved historical issues and territorial borders is another challenge that limits the ability of the US to interfere with East Asia issues (Lin & Roy, 2010). Territorial border tensions have fueled military confrontation and led to high military build-up and spending by some East Asia nations thus limiting their capability to focus on trade and investment spending. In this case, the US must use a careful and diplomatic approach in its comments relating to territorial disputes in order to avoid diplomatic tensions in the region (Shambaugh, 2013). Challenges in the changing world There are numerous challenges in the changing world such as increased terrorism threats and nuclear weapons proliferation (Lin & Roy, 2010). The recent global economic downturns and financial crisis is a major challenge for the US and demonstrates the economic dependency of the US on foreign debt and resilience of the economy to changing global trade patterns. Through most countries have joined multilateral trade agreements like World Trade Organization (WTO), the actions of certain nations and diplomatic tensions has forced the countries to engage in mutually-beneficial bilateral agreements that serve the interests of involved nations (Shambaugh, 2013). Another emerging challenge is global warming that has led to adverse climate change and destruction of the ecosystem (Lin & Roy, 2010). In addition, depletion of natural resources such as oil reserves and gas limits the ability of the world to attain energy sufficiency. In this case, countries have invested in clean and renewable energy sources that conserve the natural environment. Analysis of existing policies The US relations with China have evolved from diplomatic standoffs to growing international trade rivalry and finally economic interdependencies. The current pivot to East Asia policy aims at strengthening military alliances and deepening the relationships with China. The US policy fosters multilateral institutions engagements and supports democratic practices in China. The US also strengthens human rights through identifying instances of breach of the fundamental rights such as right to information and privacy of the citizens (Lin & Roy, 2010). The policy has succeeded in expanding trade and investments since US multinational companies have invested heavily in China mainland while the US provides the largest Chinese export market. However, China has continued to engage in deliberate devaluation of its currency in order to improve the competitiveness of its exports in the US thus leading to unbalanced trade flows and anti-trust behaviors that may negatively affect the rate of US economic growth (Shambaugh, 2013). Alternative new type of relationship Sino-American relationships must focus on close bilateral partnership between two big powers since the containment policy will hinder any mutual benefits that the two countries can enjoy from the partnerships (Shambaugh, 2013). The US must support China in controlling environmental degradation and fostering intellectual property rights in order to ensure sustainable development of China. The policy must aim at entrenching human rights and ensuring civil liberties that are necessary for social development of Chinese citizens (Lin & Roy, 2010). The policy must promote scientific exchanges and shared innovation between the two countries in order to enhance technology development. The countries must joint invest in emerging military technologies such as missile ballistic systems and space programs that aim at enhance terrorism surveillance (Lin & Roy, 2010). Encourage more Chinese investments in the US through supporting medium-sized enterprises that will create more economic growth and jobs for US citizens. The US government must create healthy environment that prohibits special treatment to domestic firms in order to encourage more competition and innovation (Lin & Roy, 2010). The US should maximize on agricultural exports in order to enable China meet its food security needs and spur trade between the two countries. Another critical area of cooperation is defense since China has invested heavily in modernizing its military and acquiring sophisticated military arsenal. In this case, China and US have engaged in military technology race for several years and thus there is a need of close cooperation in order to deal with East Asia tensions and imminent military confrontation. China should encourage the US to cooperate in expanding their space program and ensuring peaceful settlement of territorial disputes in East Asia (Lin & Roy, 2010). Suggestions for change of the current policies The Sino-American relationship should entail close cooperation on several strategic issues such as economic development, defense and diplomatic ties in order to deal with some challenges that face the United States in East Asia (Lin & Roy, 2010). The relations must shift to bilateral agreements that enhance commerce, military alliances and long-term cooperation in various programs. The US arms sales to Taiwan and military assistance may limit bilateral cooperation between the two countries and the Department of defense must undertake measures to limit the quality and quantity of arms shipments to Taiwan and neighboring countries. In this case, the US government must respect China’s internal affairs and support efforts that are aimed at ensuring long-term peaceful resolutions in Taiwan (Lin & Roy, 2010). The US demand for labor-intensive goods exceed the domestic production and thus close economic partnership will improve the welfare of US citizens. The bilateral agreement must prohibit restrictive trade practices such as tariffs and inconsistent regulations on product quality that may limit the volumes of trade between the two countries. China must deal with the accusations of its undervalued Renminbi relative to the US dollar (Shambaugh, 2013). Conclusion China is currently the largest US trading partner and has experienced sustained economic and military growth in the last few decades. Sino-American relations must move to close working partnership between two world giants in order to enhance economic, military and diplomatic cooperation. The US should form alliances with China in order to deal with challenges in East Asia, and prevent the containment policy that has a potential of leading to conflicts between the two nations. References: Shambaugh, D.L. (2013). Tangled titans: the United States and China. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. Lin, Z & Roy, D. (2010). The future of United States, China and Taiwan relations. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Read More