by Nan C Avery

Created on: June 29, 2009   Last Updated: July 11, 2009

The Cold War lasted until 1990 and until the Sino-Soviet coalition in the late 1960s took an active part in the Vietnam War, China was a satellite of the Soviet Union. The U.S was having difficulties with the Soviets and was afraid that Russia would use the bombs that they had developed. The Vietnam War was taking its toll on the U.S. since we had less time to watch the Soviets. China would make the best middleman since it was on the Soviet border and close to Vietnam. In 1969, when the Sino-Soviet coalition was at a hostile point with each other, the U.S. made advances of rapprochement with China.

In 1971, detente with the Soviet Union was the policy by the U.S. and Kissinger was trying to negotiate a summit that would be attended by both the Soviet Union and China. The US was trying to figure out how to approach Taiwan without bringing on hurt feelings. The half-baked compromise was that China was the country and Taiwan was a state within the country, and as such, could maintain its autonomy.

China was benefiting from US policy toward it, when, in 1973, the Watergate break-in occurred. Ford, as VP became an unelected President and attempted to complete the work started by Nixon in China. Kissinger wanted to continue to normalize relations with China but as circumstances often occur, Jimmy Carter became President and didn't feel that China relations were that important and put China normalization on hold. But the previous party had helped build China into a more powerful country. China now had more sway over other nations.

In 1978, as the Soviet Union began to try to repair and build a mutual relationship with China, Jimmy Carter switched his policies. He now decided it was time to build up a relationship with China and trade military arms.

By the end of the first Reagan administration, China and the US appeared to have established a stable and prosperous relationship. But there was a bit of instability brewing below the surface. The US really didn't need China's friendship as much because the Soviet Union was losing its power.

In 1987 and 1988, two events occurred that challenged the US-China relations: China sold silkworm missiles to Iran during the Gulf War and CSS2-IRBMs to Saudia Arabia. The second event was human rights. China was mass killing Tibetans. The US congress was very upset and voted to have Reagan deal with the Dalai Lama.

In 1989, with the total collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, China had the mass massacre in the Tiananmen Square in Beijing. From that came the sanctions on China by the US, which slowed down China's trade. Eventually, the US and China managed to work out their relationship.

By developing a coalition with China during the Cold War and lessening trade and withdrawing troops from Taiwan, China has become one of the richest countries in the world. In fact, we are in so much debt to them, that they could be a major influence in the collapse of the US economy; although that is an unrealistic scenario based upon world economics.

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