Sino-US-Japan Relations

Lecturer: Dr. Masayo Goto
1Overview
 Pattern of Sino-US relations
 A view from China
 A View from the US

 Other Issues on Sino-US relations
 Sino-US-Japan relations2

A pattern of Sino-US relations

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Normalization in 1979
In 1972, U.S. President Nixon visited China, to resume full
diplomatic relations between the two nations and to end theformal U.S. ties with Taiwan. The Nixon administration
acknowledged the „One China policy.‟ On the Chinese side, normalization of relations wasinstrumental to China‟s effort to enhance its security vis-à -vis
the Soviet Union and was seen as a tactical necessity topromote Chinese military and economic interests. The UnitedStates was equally motivated by national security concerns.


In 1979, The U.S. cuts formal links with Taiwan and agrees toabide by China‟s "one China" policy
4However, the US supports for Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations
Act.
In1979, the Taiwan Relations Act passed the US Congress after
the establishment of relations with the People's Republic of China
and the breaking of relations between the United States and theRepublic of China on the island of Taiwan by President Jimmy
Carter. It more clearly defines the American position on Taiwan
and its cross-strait relationship with Beijing.

The US has repeatedly assured the Taiwan leader Chen that they
will not cut a deal with China at the expense of Taiwan. The UScontinues to sell arms to Taipei and have re-affirmed the USTaiwan security agreement.
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Taiwan Relations Act
1.

Provides for Taiwan to be treated under U.S. laws the same as"foreign countries, nations, states, governments, or similarentities".

2.

Stipulates that the US will "consider any effort to determine
the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including
by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of
the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the US " butdoes not mandate that the US intervene in these situations.

3.

Requires the US “to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensivecharacter”, and “to maintain the capacity of the United States toresist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would
jeopardize the security.” ⇒U.S. governments have sold arms tothe ROC in compliance with the Taiwan Relations Act.

The PRC views the Taiwan Relations Act as "an unwarranted
intrusion by the United States into the internal affairs of China."

China threat syndrome in US strategic thinking

The reason for American concern mainly arises
from its hegemonic status in the world politics andthe ideological incompatibility of China with theWestern value system.
1. Ideological and cultural factors make China athreat.
2. Geopolitical and geoeconomic factors
3. The collapse of China

Chinese-American conflict andcooperation since 1949
1.

2.

3.

Taiwan was critical in putting US relations with
China on a bad footing in 1949, and it remains
important today.
Every US administration has wanted to keep thePRC from unifying Taiwan with the mainland.
The wars in Korea and Vietnam were American
proxy wars seeking to contain the spread ofChinese nationalism (communism) in Asia –Those wars and the Cold War kept the US andChina apart for two decades.

4. The collapse of the Soviet Union deprived the US of a clear
rationale for maintaining good relations with China.
5. The Sino-US relations revived because the business coalition
was strong enough to replace the strategic logic with aninternationalist rationale of opening the China market andintegrating China into the world economy, and into multilateralorganization in which the US plays a preponderant role (WorldBank, WTO).
6. The „War on Terror‟ has offered new opportunities for easing
tensions between China and the US based on shared concerns incentral Asia. In broad terms China supports the US led initiative
as it also suits the Chinese objective of crushing a separatist
movement.

10SummaryThe roles in their relations have changed from "non-enemy andnon-friend" to "stakeholder," and then to the current"constructive cooperator."
 The two countries now communicate at all political levels.
 Bilateral trade volume has grown from nearly zero to about$350 billion in 2007, creating real and deep interdependence.
 The two countries have begun to explore military and security
cooperation on issues like antiterrorism and the nuclear
programs in North Korea and Iran.
Holistically speaking, is the Sino-U.S. relationship mature andstable?
11A View from China

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Major issues
China celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of thePeople‟s Republic and the installation of the Chinese Communist
Party government.
Is the grand military parade to show transparency of militarycapabilities or to show strong military power?

US will remain as a “Hyper Power” or China willseek leadership in North Asia?






China parade marks anniversary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWm5DkIlsG4&feature=PlayList&p=5B84FBC8FFE460D9&index=9Happy Independence Day China Celebrates 60 Years Anniversary13
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLcQKtmwcY0&NR=1

The current relations with the US are the best since the end of
the Cold War. Yet….
 The US is seeking global hegemony and preventing China
from rising to a position to challenge American supremacy(China is rising as an economic, political, and military powerand has expanded its diplomatic activism beyond Asia).
 American unilateralism and unipolar worldview.
 Bush Administration‟s double standard in American foreign
policy; American hypocrisy. (China accused the US of double
standards after the US navy fired a missile to destroy a failed
satellite 150 miles above the Pacific in 2008).
 US-Japan alliance: A keystone of the US strategic position inNorth Asia. Is this the US policy to contain China?
 Sino-US relations have improved after 9/11. At thattime, China was concerned about terrorism inXinjiang in connection with the secessionist
movement. Uighur separatists in Muslim-majority
Xinjiang province have waged a low-level
insurgency against the Chinese government for
many years. The Chinese government frequently
claims it faces "international terrorism" in Xinjiang.

15A View from the US16

The China crisis during the Clinton andBush Administrations
Both Bush and Clinton administrations were negative and rigidly
critical. Clinton looked at China mostly from the perspective ofhuman rights and Bush‟s considerations were more those ofglobal strategy.
 Clinton regarded China as a prop in his Asia Policy. In 1988, hevisited China unexpectedly by-passed Japan. This became known
as “Japan-passing” instead of “Japan-bashing” during the Reagan
and Bush era.
 Bush Administration: allies come first The April 2001 incident – American EP-3 surveillance plane
incident off Hainan Island. This increased tensions.
 Improvement of relations immediately after the incident wassettled, but sales of arms to Taiwan proceeded as planned.
17 Tensions arising also from sales of arms to Taiwan
Post-September 11 cooperation on thewar on terrorism
The 9/11 terrorist attack marked a turning point in Sino-US
relations – The US and China found anew strategic value, Antiterrorism.

David Shambaugh (The Reader, pp. 361–67) argues that China‟scooperation with the US in fighting terrorism certainly helped
improve bilateral relations and began a dedicate process ofengagement with each other.

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Bush’s China policyA policy of active engagement aimed at establishing amore stable, cooperative and enduring relationship with
China - a shift from a policy that sees China as “a strategiccompetitor” and “a potential adversary.”Against this, there is a more hawkish attitude displayed byCheney and Rumsfeld.

A China policy embedded in a broader framework ofrelations with US allies and friends in the region.

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Obama’s China policy Continuity and engagement rather thanconfrontation
 Develop "positive, cooperative andcomprehensive" ties with China.
 The Obama administration has emphasizedcommon interests more than differences in its
China policy.

20Summary If China became a superpower, China would

only want to challenge the US for global
supremacy and would not share global stability.
 The main theme in Sino-US relations should still
be engagement, with integrating China into
global institutions in which the US remains
preponderant.

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Other Issues on Sino-USrelations

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The Taiwan issuesA shift from “strategic ambiguity” to “strategic unambiguity”;
but it is a double-tracked policy
 Continued sales of arms to Taiwan
 An extent of integration of the US and Taiwanese militaries.
Bush approved the largest arms sales package for theTaiwanese military including submarines.
 Cheney‟s straight talk on arms sales and Kelly‟s warning toTaiwan. (Kelly is U.S. assistant secretary of state for East
Asian and Pacific affairs. He warned that "the potential for aresponse from China- a dangerous, objectionable and foolishresponse - that could destroy much of what Taiwan has built
and crush its hopes for the future."23 In view of their common interest in preventing

conflict over Taiwan, China and the US havedeveloped a tacit agreement:
1.

2.

3.

4.

There is to be no use of force against Taiwan by
China
The US is not to recognize two China, or one
China and one Taiwan.
The US can continue to have „unofficial‟relations with Taiwan.
Taiwan cannot declare itself independent.
24Strategic issues
China‟s proliferation of ballistic missiles and missilecomponents to other nations
 Missile defence Over the number of BM interceptors deployed in Alaska Theatre missile defence in Northeast Asia – deployed on oraround Taiwan.
 Growing US military presence around China‟s periphery;
Deployment in Pakistan, Central Asia, Afghanistan,
rapidly improving US-India military relationship,improved security partnerships in countries in Asia.
25

China and Tibet
What are the underlying issues?
 The Chinese Government has long claimed suzerainty over Tibet
and that the Chinese constitution lists Tibet among areas
constituting the territory of the Republic of China. Any Tibet
issues should never be a foreign policy issue since it involves thedomestic affairs of China.
 Many Tibetans disagree, pointing out that the Himalayan region
was an independent kingdom for many centuries, and that
Chinese rule over Tibet has not been constant.
 Tibet declared itself an independent republic in 1912. Although
its status did not receive widespread recognition, Tibet
functioned as an independent government until 1951.
 China sent troops to Tibet in 1950 and summoned a Tibetandelegation the following year to sign a treaty ceding sovereignty
to China. Since then there have been periods of unrest and 26
sporadic uprisings as resentment to China‟s rule has persisted.

Will the two sides be able to resolve their differences?
 China insists that the Tibetans in exile, led by the Dalai Lama,want nothing less than to separate Tibet from the motherland.
 The Dalai Lama - Tibet's spiritual leader - says he wants
nothing more than genuine autonomy for the region.
Why is the Tibet issue so well-known?
 Since fleeing Tibet following a failed uprising in 1959, he has
travelled the world advocating more autonomy for hishomeland. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in1989.
Will there be further protests?
 China responded to these protests with a show of force, andofficials have vowed to "resolutely crush" pro-independence
sentiment.
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What is the US official position?
 U.S. policy toward Tibet has operated on two levels. At thestrategic level, the US has consistently supported the Chinese
position that Tibet is part of China. At the pragmatic or tacticallevel, US has been opportunistic in its dealings with Tibet and hasbeen prone to wide fluctuations, ranging from the provision offinancial and military aid to Tibetan guerrilla forces in the 1950s
and 1960s to neglect and almost no official contact in the 1970s
and 1980s. Successive U.S. administrations consistently refused toaccept Tibet's claim to independence
The Tibet question has not faded away. For the foreseeable
future, this issue will likely remain an irritant to the Chinese in
the international arena and a potential danger-point in SinoAmerican relations.
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Bilateral trade disputes
US trade deficit with China – ballooned to US$124 billion in 2003.
 China‟s trade tiff with US over increased tariffs on alleged
Chinese dumping of such products as TV sets, semi-conductors
and wireless computing, technology and timber bedroom furniture,and over imported American beef and poultry.
 Chinese piracy of trademarked and patented goods and otherintellectual property.
 China pressured to revalue the RMB, pegged to US$8.26, and tofloat it.
 China‟s firm resistance and defence of a stable currency against
speculation and over-investment.
 In 2009, the Chinese-made, low-end tires sold in the U.S. for use
on cars and light trucks are flooding the market in a way that"disrupts" domestic production. 5,000 jobs have been lost since2004 as a result. - A new 35 percent tariff on Chinese tires 29
The Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Islands

February 2009: Japanese Foreign Minister Nakasone said theUS recognized Japanese jurisdiction over the Senkaku Islands,
where the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between
Japan and the US would apply. A U.S. State Department
official said on the same day that the Senkaku Islands werealways under the administrative jurisdiction of Japan and theTreaty would apply to them.

March 2009: Japanese Prime Minister Aso twice referred theSenkaku Islands as Japan‟s territory, saying they wereprotected under the Japan-U.S. security treaty. He made thisstatement during his trip to the United States as well as in theParliament, the first time a Japanese prime minister had madesuch a remark.

March 2009: China's Foreign Ministry spokesman said "Chinahas indisputable sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands andadjacent islets which have been China‟s inalienable territory
since ancient times. The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation andSecurity between Japan and the United States should notundermine the interest of any third party including China. Any
attempt to cover the Diaoyu Islands under the Treaty isabsolutely unacceptable to the Chinese people.

February 2009: Japan‟s Maritime Safety Agency stationed forthe first time PLH (patrol vessels large with helicopter) in thewaters of Senkaku Islands, saying that the action was aimed todefend against "invasion" from Chinese marine survey ships.

Sino-US-Japan relations

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Major concerns
Japan‟s fear about abandonment and entrapment. Long at issue
in the US-Japan alliance are abandonment fears from the“Nixon shock” to president Clinton's “Japan-passing” andentrapment fears from the era of Vietnam to the present day
where “areas surrounding Japan” may includes Taiwan. On theother hand, Japan worries about being left out in the cold as theUS engages China. Japan also worries about being dragged byAmerica into a conflict with China.
 China „s increasing significance in international affairs. With
the rapidly growing Chinese economy and military and politicalinfluence, the world has shifted a focus to US-China relations.
China is demanding international respect and attention.
33

America‟s role in North Asia: The matter of relative importanceof US-Japan and US-China relations raises questions about theUS‟s role in the region. Is that role primarily to stabilize thepolitical-military environment? Or will the US focus on
expanding trade, increase investment, opening market, andspreading freedom by promoting democracy and human rights?

The strategic priorities of the US, Japan and China apparently
have a good deal in common concerning regional stability. The
free flow of goods and services, the confidence of investors andthe low costs of cooperation that come with stability are sovaluable to these economies.

China does not have a comprehensive industrial base that can becompared to any of the advanced industrial nations (US, Japan,Germany), but it may have soon – That is when Sino-US
relations may come to a flash point. It is likely that China will
be in a partnership with the US.

The US and Japan trust each other whereas the US and China,and China and Japan do not. Lack of trust can be attributed
factors such as unresolved historical antagonism, unclear present
intentions, and undeveloped vision for the region‟s future.

The US, Japan and China need to pursue their strategic priorities
in ways that avoid conflict and build trust.

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Conclusion
 Continued improved ties and cooperation

expected between the US and China, but
not without occasional tensions
 More trade tiffs also expected, as China
is coping with the WTO regime
 Above all, the Taiwan issue will be theeventual test of the relationship.
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End of Lecture37