China–United States relations

The Sino- American relations refer to the relations between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America (USA). These relationships exist on a variety of levels, but mainly in a political and an economic dimension. Exerting a strong influence on the Sino-US relations is the status of the U.S. as the only remaining superpower in the world after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. In contrast, China is emerging as a great power after the formerly socialist country increasingly opened abroad since the 1970s and has undergone far-reaching economic reforms. Based on this contrast, the relations between the People 's Republic of China and the United States are clearly influenced dualistic: on the one hand, China is in competition with the U.S., on the other hand it needs the U.S. as a partner if it wants to win at the international level status and the status of regional stability, which is a prerequisite for the economic development of China, does not want to jeopardize.

The historical background of Sino- American relations

The relationship between China and the U.S. is less marked compared to China's relations with former European powers such as France, Great Britain and Russia, and Japan by the period of 100 years of national humiliation, as the U.S. less at the time of China's weakness in the 19th century China intervened, forcing less Unequal Treaties. Also, it was the U.S. which significantly contributed to the failure of projects of the European powers, China divide directly among themselves, with his insistence on the open-door policy (Open Door Policy ). Starting point for this open-door policy was the desire of the United States have equal access to China, its markets and its resources for all major powers. In particular, John Hay, an American Secretary of State, sent 1899 letters to all the great powers, in which he asked them to recognize China's territorial and administrative integrity and an unlimited use for all countries involved in the determined by the unequal treaties ports each in the to allow spheres of influence of the European colonial powers and Japan.