china-us relationship

1979 to 2019: A 40-Year Timeline

1979: Formal Diplomatic Ties

Following US President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972, China and the US under the administration of US President Jimmy Carter established full diplomatic relations from January 1, 1979. While acknowledging the one-china principle, the US severed official ties with Taiwan. Former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, architect of China’s reform and opening-up policy which was launched in 1978, made a historic visit to the US in 1979, marking the normalization of the China-us relationship. In the meantime, Congress approved the Taiwan Relations Act, signed into law on April 10, 1979, allowing Washington to continue commercial and cultural relations with Taiwan, as well as arms sales.

1982: Third Joint Communiqué

Under the administration of President Ronald Reagan, the US issued in July 1982 the “six Assurances” to Taiwan, including pledges that it would not formally recognize China’s sovereignty over Taiwan, and that it would not set a date to terminate arms sales to Taiwan. But then in August, the US signed a third joint communiqué with China, reaffirming the one-china principle and pledging to “gradually reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a period of time, to a final resolution.”

1984-1985: US Arms Sales to China

Despite the Reagan administration’s vocal support for stronger ties with Taiwan, the US further improved its relationship with China against the backdrop of a heightened rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union following Moscow’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The US lifted the ban on arms sales to China in 1981 and in April 1984, UUS President Ronald Reagan visited China. His trip was followed by US approval of military exchanges wwith China, including technological cooperation and arms sales to China. In July 1985, chinese President Li Xiannian visited the US, the first time a Chinese president visited the US.

1989:1989: Ttiananmen Square Incident

Protests erupted in Beijing and other parts of China in the spring of 1989. In the wake of the political turmoil, the US froze ties with China and suspended all arms sales.

1992: 1992 Korean Nuclear Crisis

In August 11992, China established formal diplomatic relations with South Korea, a decision that infuriated North Korea, which had just lost the backing of Moscow after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In response, Pyongyang announced its intention to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferationno Treaty (NPT), which triggered a nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

1993: 19 Yinhe Incident

In late July, 1993, the US made a false claim that a Chinese ship the Yinhe was carrying chemical weapon materials to Iran. The US Navy harassed the Yinhe and forced it to stop in international waters for a month. China eventually agreed to allow the US

to search the ship. Although the inspection made by the US found no chemical weapons materials, the US refused to apologize. Under the Clinton administration, the US launched a policy of “constructive engagement,” which aimed to influence Chinese policymaking on a number of issues through engaging with China. Meanwhile, China, under new leader Jiang Zemin, called for the two sides to “increase trust, reduce troubles, enhance cooperation and eschew confrontation.”

1994: Improved Trade Relations

In May 1994, the US granted China Most-favored Nation trading status. In October, the US and North Korea signed the Agreed Framework which served to defuse the North Korean nuclear crisis until 1998.

1995-1996: Third Taiwan Strait Crisis

In early 1996, with Lee Teng-hui of the Kuomintang Party, who was to become Taiwan’s first pro-independence leader, set to win the island’s first general election, China responded by launching missile tests in the Taiwan Strait. The US sent two aircraft carrier battle groups to the region, triggering the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1996. It appeared at that time that the China-us relationship had reached a new low, as in 1995, after Clinton broke diplomatic protocol to authorize a visit by Lee to the US, China recalled its ambassador to Washington. But the diplomatic crisis proved to be short-lived, and in late 1996, the two countries agreed to exchange officials again.

1997-1998: China-us Ties Recover

Despite the Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1996, the Us-china relationship appeared to have returned to normal in 1997. In October of that year, Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited the US, the first trip by a Chinese president in 12 years. Then in 1998, US President Bill Clinton made a reciprocal visit to China. The US also permitted a US satellite to be launched by a Chinese rocket, a symbolic move for Us-china cooperation.

1999: Belgrade Embassy Bombing

During NATO’S campaign against Serbia over controversies surrounding Kosovo in May 1999, a US aircraft bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three Chinese reporters and injuring 27 Chinese nationals who were at the embassy. Although the US apologized, claiming the deadly bombing was an accident resulting from an intelligence error, many in China believed it was intentional, leading to large-scale demonstrations outside US embassies and consulates throughout China. The relationship recovered later that year after US President Bill Clinton sent a special envoy to China.

2000: Permanent Normal Trade Relationship

After several rounds of negotiations in 1999, the Clinton administration officially announced it would grant China the status of permanent Normal Trade Relations in October 2000, which also paved the way for China to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. China’s joining the WTO is now considered a major event that kickstarted the rapid economic growth of the following two decades.

2001: Standoff over US Spy Plane

In April 2001, a US EP3 reconnaissance plane flying near the island province of Hainan collided with a Chinese fighter jet. The collision caused the jet to crash into the South China Sea, killing the Chinese pilot. The US plane made an emergency landing on Hainan and its 24-strong crew was detained by Chinese authorities. The incident led to a 12-day standoff. After US President George W. Bush expressed regret over the death of the Chinese pilot, China released the US crew.

2002: Us-china Cooperation after 9/11

Identifying China as a “strategic competitor,” rather than a “strategic partner” during his presidential campaign, US President George W. Bush initially took a tougher stance on China. But after the 9/11 attack in 2001, the US’S strategic focus shifted to its war on terror, and Sino-china cooperation continued. In February, Bush paid a visit to China. In October, Chinese President Jiang Zemin paid a high-profile visit to Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas. The two sides agreed to work toward “frank and constructive cooperative relations,” moving the bilateral relationship to a new position referred to as the ‘three Cs’: candid, constructive and cooperative.

2005-2006: ‘Responsible Stakeholders’

In 2005, Washington officials raised the concept of “responsible stakeholder” during its strategic dialogue with China. Recognizing Beijing as an emerging power, the concept calls on China to cooperate with the US on various international issues. In the meantime, Chinese President Hu Jintao raised the concepts of a “harmonious society” and China’s “peaceful rise.” Hu visited the US in April, where the two countries addressed the Iran nuclear issue, Sudan’s humanitarian crisis and the Six-party Talks on North Korea. After Pyongyang conducted its first nuclear test in October 2006 (and walked away from the talks in 2015), China served as a mediator to facilitate the talks between Pyongyang and Washington. In August, 2005, the first China-us Strategic Dialogue, also known as the China-us Senior Dialogue, was held in Beijing, and in December, 2005, the second strategic dialogue was held in Washington. In December, 2006, the two countries held the first meeting of the China-us Strategic Economic Dialogue. Five meetings under the mechanism were held between 2006 and 2008.

2008-2010: China’s Economy Converges on US’S

After becoming the US’S second-largest trading partner after Canada in 2006, China surpassed Japan to become the largest holder of US debt at around US$600 billion in 2008. While the US struggled with the global financial crisis in 2008, China successfully hosted the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. In April 2009, China and the US announced the establishment of an annual mechanism called the Us-china Strategic and Economic Dialogue, which replaced the former Strategic Dialogue and Strategic Economic Dialogue. The mechanism serves to address the challenges and opportunities emerging between the two countries regarding a wide range of regional and global issues. In 2010, China surpassed Japan as the world’s second-largest economy.

2011: Obama’s ‘Pivot’ to Asia

In January 2011, Chinese President Hu Jintao paid a visit to the US, where he was invited to a rare private dinner at the White House with US President Barack Obama. But beneath the warmth on the surface, the bilateral relationship became ever more complex. In October 2011, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton raised the so-called “Pivot-to-asia” policy, which aimed to increase diplomatic, economic, military and strategic investment in the Asia-pacific region. It was widely perceived to be a strategy to counter China’s growing influence there. In the following months, the US increased its military presence in the region, prompting criticism from China. In the same month, Obama announced that the US and eight other countries had reached a “high-standard” agreement called the Trans-pacific Partnership (TPP), a free trade deal that many considered was targeted at excluding China.

2012: Increasing Disputes

As the US trade deficit with China reached US$295.5 billion in 2011, it led to intensified trade disputes. The Obama administration imposed tariffs on various Chinese products, including solar panels and tires, in 2012.

2013: China’s New Leadership and New Initiatives

In March 2013, Xi Jinping officially replaced Hu Jintao as Chinese President. Xi raised his iconic concept of “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” and launched the Belt and Road Initiative. In June, US President Barack Obama hosted Xi at the Sunnylands Estate in California. The two sides agreed to cooperate on various issues, including climate change and North Korea. Obama and Xi also pledged to establish a “new model” of relations, apparently endorsing Xi’s concept of establishing a “new type of great power relations” for the US and China.

2014: Cyber Security and Climate Change

In May, amid allegations over alleged Chinese cyber attacks against the US, a US court indicted five members of China’s People’s Liberation Army for stealing trade technology from US companies. China responded by suspending its cooperation in the Us-china cybersecurity working group. In November, on the sidelines of the 2014 Asia-pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, Xi and Obama issued a joint statement on climate change. While the US pledged to reduce its emissions by 26-28 percent below its 2005 level by 2025, China said it aimed to peak its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

2015-2016: South China Sea Disputes Escalate

After simmering for a couple of years, the territorial and maritime disputes surrounding the South China Sea between China and neighboring countries emerged as a thorn in Us-china relations. In June 2015 at the 14th Shangri-la Dialogue on Asian Security, an annual summit held in Singapore, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter criticized China for “militarizing”the South China Sea, and urged China to halt its land reclamation efforts in the region. China denied the militarization accusation and said it was the US Navy’s frequent patrols in the region that militarized the region.

2017 Era of Uncertainty Under Trump

In February 2017, US President Donald Trump reaffirmed the one-china policy in a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In December 2016, after winning the presidential election, Trump had broken with established diplomatic protocol by speaking on the telephone with Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen, leading many to question Trump’s stance on the Taiwan issue. In April 2017, Trump hosted Xi for a two-day summit at the Mar-a-lago estate in Florida, where there were discussions on bilateral trade and North Korea issues. While officials from both countries described the summit as a success, disputes over trade persisted. In November, Trump visited China, where he was welcomed with a grand ceremony. Trump apparently backtracked on his previous harsh criticism of China and heaped lavish praise on Xi. The two sides signed deals worth US$250 billion and agreed to continue cooperating on the North Korean issue.

2018: Trade Friction Escalates es

In March 2018, the Trump administration announced it would increasee tariffs on Chinese imports worth more than US$50 billion, covering a wide range off products. China responded in early April with tariffs of its own. In July, the Trump administration imposed 25 percent tariffs on additionalditional Chinese imports worth US$34 billion, covering 800 Chinese products. After Chinana retaliated by imposing tariffs on some 500 US products valued at US$34 billion, thehe US further threatened to impose tariffs on all Chinese imports. In December, the US and China agreed upon a 90-day truce to the tradeade war to allow for further negotiations to reach a more comprehensive deal too end the spat.

2019: Trade Deal Pending

In February, 2019, China and the US held more rounds of high-level economic nomic consultations in Beijing, reportedly reaching consensus in principlee on bilateral economic and trade issues, though a final deal is still pending.