United States and China’s Relationship
The United States and China have had a complicated relationship for more than two hundred years, from trade to diplomatic efforts. The two countries have become even more intertwined over the last few decades and are now the two largest economies in the world. Despite the complexity of the relationship, the two countries remain close economic and political allies.
The history of U.S.-China relations began in the 18th century with the establishment of the East India Company by the British and the establishment of the United States as an independent country. From the beginning, trade relations between the two countries remained strained. There were significant disputes over trade and increasingly strained diplomatic efforts in the 19th century. In the 20th century, the U.S. and China had numerous battles over trade, but maintained a strong bond of friendship.
Following the end of World War II, the U.S., despite being a major capitalist power, recognized the People’s Republic of China’s right to sovereignty over the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. This was a bold move and recognized the PRC’s revolutionary unity of the people in their struggle for revolution. The U.S. sought to establish a positive relationship with China in all spheres – in trade, culture, and politics.
The relationship between the two countries has gone through a number of twists and turns over the years. In the 1970s, China opened up to the West, with U.S. President Richard Nixon making a historic visit to China in 1972. This marked the beginning of a period of diplomatic normalization between the two countries, symbolized by the Shanghai Communique of 1972.
However, the relationship between the two nations remained strained over the following years. In 1979, the United States severed diplomatic ties with China in response to the Chinese government’s military action in its own country, in Tibet. Relations cooled even further in 1989 with the Tiananmen Square massacre and resulting sanctions by the U.S. government.
The U.S. and China have had their disagreements in the past, but in recent times the relationship has improved. The two countries have developed strong economic ties and have entered into cooperative agreements in many different fields, including trade, energy, anti-terrorism and even climate change. Nowadays it is quite common to see Chinese companies investing in the U.S., and American companies investing in China.
The two countries have made large strides in the last few years, and their relationship is on the upswing. While the relationship between the two countries is often volatile, there is hope for improved bilateral relations in the coming years. If the two countries can continue to work together to harmonize the economic and political interests of both countries, the coming decades could see the relationship between the United States and China reach its full potential.
