China’s American policy: A turning point

Abstracts

This article studies China’s policy towards the U.S. in the critical period of the mid-1990s, and examines the difficulties in the bilateral relationship. It analyzes the evolution of the Chinese leadership’s “authoritative conceptualizations of the foreign policy framework,” their implications for China’s policy towards the U.S., and the domestic factors in both countries, especially the leadership succession process in Beijing, that affect the bilateral relationship. China’s U.S. policy has reached a turning point: if it is treated like an enemy by the U.S., China will turn into an enemy of the U.S.; if it sees the U.S. as hostile, it will be hostile to the U.S. A stable and friendly Sino-U.S. relationship based on mutual trust and respect is in line with the long-term economic interests of the U.S. The U.S. wants to benefit from the economic growth of the Asia-Pacific region. It is also essential for the U.S. to attract China to work hard and compete in the capitalist world according to the U.S. rules of the game. A stable China concentrating on economic development within the capitalist world is a key factor in maintaining stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.