Adjustment And Stabilization

The earliest contact between the Chinese Communist Party and American government could be traced back to the latter part of the War of Resistance Against Japan.After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan,the United States acted as an intermediary to mediate the relationship between the Communist Party and the Kuomintang,under the context of international cold war,the US government actively implemented the policy of "supporting Chiang Kai-shek and opposing communism"which resulted in the failure of mediation.After the founding of the People’s Republic of China,Western capitalist countries led by the United States continued to take a hostile attitude towards China,China was forced to adopt a "leaning to one side" foreign policy and joined the socialist camp,therefore the two sides had fallen into the confrontation for nearly two decades.Of course,China and the United States also had contacts in this period,and the talks on the ambassadorial level had been held intermittently for more than ten years.Before Nixon was elected president,he wrote an article explaining his policy toward China,hoping to lift China out of "angry isolation".After succeeding the President,he pursued Nixonism and advocated a change of previous tough policies toward China.After the Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of China,Mao Zedong commissioned four marshals,Ye Jianying,Xu Xiangqian,Nie Rongzhen,and Chen Yi to study international issues.After full discussion,Chen Yi,on behalf of the veterans,put forward to the central committee of CPC the idea of opening up SinoAmerican relations.At the same time,China and the United States released goodwill to each other,and Sino-American relations began to thaw,which eventually led to Kissinger’s secret visit to China and Nixon’s "Peaceful Journey",a breakthrough was made in Sino-American relations,and the normalization of Sino-American relations began.Then,China and the United States established a liaison office.From then on,there was a direct communication channel between China and the United States.Nixon had promised to normalize Sino-American relations during his second term,however,the Nixon administration was unwilling to give up the "special relationship"between the United States and Taiwan,what’s more,under the influence of the"Watergate Incident",President Nixon was unable to achieve a new breakthrough in diplomacy,the United States’ position retreated,and the Sino-American relationship stagnated.At the same time,the "Extreme Leftists "also seriously interfered with China’s normal diplomatic activities,preventing China from adopting a more flexible policy toward the United States.According to changes in domestic and foreign situations,China’s diplomatic strategy changed,and Mao Zedong formulated a "OneLine" strategy to achieve the strategic intention of "Unifying the United States against the Soviet Union".In the mean time,in order to break the isolation,Mao Zedong put forward the theory of "Three Worlds".The US government continued to maintain highlevel political contacts with China,whcih made American President Ford and Secretary of State Vance visit China successively.Although they failed to establish diplomatic relations with China,they also laid the groundwork for the next leaping development of Sino-American relations.In order to push forward Sino-American relations,American President Carter sent Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Brzezinski to visit China,and the two sides began negotiations on establishing diplomatic relations.In order to catch up with the domestic developing situation,particularly the need to boost the economy,the leaders of China represented by Deng Xiaoping adopted more flexible measures in the policies toward the US.In order to expand its share of exports to China and seek investment in China to obtain economic benefits,the United States also needed to open the door to China.At the crucial moment of the negotiations,Deng Xiaoping personally participated in them and promoted the conclusion of the "Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and the United States".Then,Deng Xiaoping successfully visited the United States,and Sino-American relations entered into a period of comprehensive development.Soon after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States,the United States introduced the "Taiwan Relations Act",and Sino-American relations were in crisis.Later,after communication and mutual understanding between the two sides,this crisis was temporarily subsided and Sino-American relations continued to move forward.However,new American leader,President Reagan always held a "pro-Taiwan" stance,trying to restore official ties with Taiwan and expand arms sales to Taiwan,relations between China and the United States were once again in crisis.China resolutely struggled against this,after a fierce struggle between China and the United States,the "August 17th Communiqué" was finally signed,which established the basic principles of arms sales to Taiwan.In less than three years since the establishment of diplomatic relations,Sino-American relations encountered two successive crises.China gradually abandoned the "One-Line" strategy,the United States also adjusted its policy toward China and abandoned its intention to build"strategic relationship" with China.After nearly 10 years’s adjustment and exploration,the frame of normal and stable relations between China and the United States had gradually been established.