Superpower Relations

Initial U.S. Policy toward China

Secretary of State

George Marshall

What were his experiences in China in 1946?

Dean Acheson

Truman, Jan. 1950

“The United States government will not pursue a course which will lead to involvement in the civil conflict in China.”

Based on this statement, was it the policy of the U.S. to intervene if the P.R.C. invaded the R.O.C. on Taiwan?

China’s Grand Strategy

Restoration of international prestige of imperial period

Uncertainty about tactics in early 1950

U.S.?

N. Korea?

Korea

Japanese colony, 1910-45

U.S. and Soviet Union occupation, 1945-48

Partition at “38th parallel” in 1948

North Korea

Kim Il-sung (1912-1994)

South Korea

Syngman Rhee (1875-1965)

Korean War

N. Korean invasion, June 25, 1950

P.R.C. not given advanced warning

U.S. Response

U.N. Resolution, June 28

Reinforcements at Pusan

Troops under Douglas MacArthur landed at Inchon, Sept. 15

PRC vacillation

U.S. troops enter N. Korea, Oct. 7

Chinese “volunteers” attack, Oct. 13

Troop levels, 1950

U.N. and South Korea 180,000

N. Korea 100,000

Chinese “volunteers” 1+ million

Soviet air cover

Seesaw conflict

Truce, 1953

War dead

U.S. 54,000

S. Korea 400,000

N. Korea 600,000

PRC 700-900,000

Cold War comes to Asia, 1950s

*"Loss of China”

U.S. 7th fleet in Straits of Taiwan, July 1950

U.S.-R.O.C. mutual defense treaty, Dec. 1954

Rebuilding Japan

Red scare

State Department “China hands” blackballed

PRC and Soviets perceived as communist bloc

PRC Reaction, 1950s

U.S. becomes prime enemy

“Paper Tiger”

Propaganda Poster: "Smash the imperialist war conspiracy, forge ahead courageously to build our peaceful and happy life!"

Arrest and expulsion of Westerners

Chinese with Western ties fall under suspicion

Sino-Soviet Relations under Stalin (d. 1953)

Long-standing tensions

Ideological Differences

Mao: Stalin didn't understand China

Stalin: Mao was a "margarine Marxist"

Soviet actions at end of WW II

Occupation of Manchuria

Recognition of GMD

Mao's trip to Soviet Union, Dec. 1949

Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance, Feb. 1950

$300 million over 5 years

Embarrassing concessions

Mongolian People's Republic, 1924

Joint control of Manchurian Railway until 1953

*Nikita Khrushchev and Mao

Khrushchev's attacks on Stalin and "personality cults"

20th Congress of Soviet CP, 1956

Disputes over leadership of world Communism

Khrushchev ends support, 1960

Reneged promise to deliver an atomic bomb

Withdrew technical experts

PRC Isolationism, 1960s

China’s Alliance, 1960-1970

Albania

Atomic bomb, 1964

Sino-Soviet Border Conflicts, 1969

Ussuri River (E. Heilongjiang)

Amur River

Xinjiang

Sino-American Rapprochement

The Odd Couple

United States

*Richard Nixon, 1969-74

*Henry Kissinger

Cultural Revolution PRC

*Mao Zedong

*Zhou Enlai

What did they have in common as political leaders in 1971? What mutual interests did their countries have?

National Interests

PRC

Sino-Soviet border skirmishes, 1969

Need for technical aid

U.S.

Vietnam war

Cold War with Soviets

Mutual signals on willingness to negotiate, 1969-71

Zhou Enlai's speech, 1969

Friendly relations “between states with different social systems”

Warsaw meeting, Jan. 1970

*Ping-pong diplomacy, April 1971

Kissinger secret visit to Beijing, July 1971

Nixon's announcement, July 15

Winding down Cultural Revolution, Sept. 1971

*Lin Biao disappears

CCP reestablished

China admitted to the UN, Oct 15, 1971

Nixon visit to China, Feb. 1972

*Shanghai Communiqué

US recognized Taiwan as part of China

Peaceful coexistence

No collusion with other countries (i.e. USSR)

Exchanges in science, technology, journalism, and sports

Continued normalization of relations