Americans
are increasingly pessimistic about the state of U.S.-China relations. The
relationship between the People's Republic of China and the United States of
America has been complex since 1949 with mutual distrust leading to
complications.
The
relationship is one of close economic ties (economic ties grew rapidly after
1980), as well as hegemonic rivalry in the Asia-Pacific. It has been described
by world leaders and academics as the world's most important bilateral
relationship of the 21st century.
The United
States and China are the world's largest and second largest economies
respectively, although China has a larger GDP when measured by PPP.
The United
States is pretty polarized these days, but nearly everyone seems to agree that
China is a big problem.
1- China is
a threat because its leaders are promoting a closed, authoritarian model as an
alternative to democratic governance and free-market economics.
2- The two
countries remain in dispute over territorial issues in the South China Sea; China
claims sovereignty over virtually the entire South China Sea, while the United
States sees it as international waters and asserts the right for its warships
and aircraft to conduct operations in the area.
3- China is
the second largest foreign creditor of the United States, after Japan.
Over the
past 20 years, Japan and China have owned more US Treasuries than any other
foreign nation.
Between 2000
and 2023, Japan grew from owning $534 billion to just over $1 trillion, while
China’s ownership grew from $101 billion to $855 billion.
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4- Currently, the United States and China have mutual political, economic, and security interests, such as the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. But there are unresolved concerns relating to the PRC's cross-strait relations with Taiwan and whether the US continues to acknowledge the One China policy, the role of democracy in government in China and human rights in China.
5- The
political status of Taiwan continues to be a major source of tension between
the two countries.
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6- This is a
Chinese Communist Party that has come to view itself as intent upon the
destruction of Western ideas, Western democracies, Western values.
Chinese
Communist Party power serves no purpose but to strengthen the party’s rule and
to spread its influence around the world.
China is an untrustworthy partner in any endeavor whether it’s a nation-state project, an industrial capacity, or financial integration.