Key causes of Sino- American hostility from 1949- 1970:

During WW2, the United States had given material assistance to China in efforts to
combat against Japan
most of the US aid went to Chiang Kai Shek and the GMD rather than
being spent on fighting the Japanese
regardless, the GMD still lost in the face of the CCP during the civil war
The United States refused to recognise the CCP as the official government of China when
they came into power in 1949
instead, they recognized the GMD in Taiwan as the official Chinese party
Taiwan became an area of dispute between US and PRC, along with
Korea, Japan and Tibet
Historiography: The Chinese looked at the Americans through the same sort of telescope
as that which the Americans were pointing at them. They too seemed to be a self- confident
aggressor power making the first moves in a campaign that, unless unchecked, might lead on to
world conquest. - Hugh Brogan
Both Chinese and Americans carried out aggressive campaigns and
policies which aggravated the conflict further
Tibet - CCP saw the invasion of Tibet as a domestic issue, to control the mainland and the
reunification of former Chinese territories and that it had no relation to foreign policies
in contrast, the international community viewed this as an act to suppress
the Tibetan people
labelled the actions of the Maoist regime as cultural genocide
Korean War - United States believed the invasion of South Korea in 1950 to be actions
being directed by Stalin and Mao
interpreted it as a join venture by the new Communist bloc in Asia
in contrast to this, Mao was actually persuaded by Kim Il Sung to invade
and had not really been involved initially in the attack
Mao condemned USA when the UN voted to send troops into Korea
(China was not recognized and USSR boycotted)
USA said the North were being the aggressors but Mao
said the South were the initial aggressors
PRC in retaliation, organized mass demonstrations in China and warned
the United States that it would intervene if there was any further development or
escalation in the North caused by the United States
October 1950, MacArthur crossed over the 38th parallel,
causing the PRC to launch attack across the Yalu river
Activity 1:
1. Identify the key points made by Henry Kissinger regarding the reasons for Chinas
response in Korea
a. China was unlikely to be acquiescent due to Americas presence at the
border of Korea
b. Present at border of Korea which was the traditional invasion route into
China
c. Caused China to become passive
d. Both sides did not properly anticipate each others responses which
worsened the relationship between both states and elongated the conflict

 Impact of the Korean War on Sino- American relations: the war led to open conflict
between both states
Panmunjom Armistice had little effect upon improving relations
The United States decided to pledge themselves to defend the island of
Taiwan when it had previously been reluctant to, clearly in order to further highlight its
dominance and aggravate Mao
resulted in hostility in relations between both states
PRC significantly weakened by the Korean War due to economic cost of
the war as well as casualties
strengthened CCP politically
Activity 2:
1. What claims does the US Department of State make about Chinese actions?
a. claimed that the CCP were illegitimate and that they came into power
through violence as well as retains its power through violence
b. does not encourage the communist regime due to moral, political and
practical issues
c. does not recognise the CCP and opposes to the giving it a seat in
negotiations in the UN
d. sanctions imposed against CCP

Taiwan - in 1953, it became a key territory in the American policy of containment in Asia
CCP did not attempt to take Taiwan due to the deployment of US Navy
7th Fleet and other security means present to defend Taiwan
in 1954, Mao tested US commitment by shelling Taiwan, Eisenhower
responded by suggesting that nuclear weapons should be used to target China if Taiwan
was directly threatened
John Lewis Gaddis suggested that the reason USA had to flex its muscles
was because Chiang threatened that the regime in Taiwan would collapse as a result of
the shelling, Eisenhower responded by signing a mutual defence treaty that bounded the
United States to the defense of Taiwan
1958, Mao shelled Quemoy and matsu again, build up of PLA troops in
the area, US Navy vessels fired but no full scale attacks were launched
Sino- American Cold War in the 1960s - US maintained its containment and isolation
policy to China
McCarthyism had significant influence on American policies towards
China during the Eisenhower administration
US used failure of the Great Leap Forward to highlight the PRCs
willingness to sacrifice millions of its people to pursuit the convoluted Marxist
Communist ideology
Activity 3:
1. What is the message of the cartoonist here?
The message is that the government in China are willing to sacrifice its people in order to achieve its own
marxist goals, willing to put its people through poverty and starvation.

2. How would this message encourage support for American policy towards China at this
time?
It displayed the atrocities of China, therefore encouraging other parties to support a more reasonable
government, such as the one in America, as well as support policies which would weaken the CCP, the
government party causing all this harm.

The Vietnam War: heightened tensions between USA and Asia- Pacific region
PRC condemned American involvement
labelled it as imperialism and cited Taiwan as another example of such
expansionism intents

Activity 4:
1. How useful is this source as evidence of Chinese public opinion about the Americans
during the Vietnam War?
a. It shows that the Chinese population viewed the West as the epitome of
evil and that Vietnam was its ally
Decolonization movements: with the intention of replacing USSR as world leader of
international revolution and putting an end to Western imperialism by supporting anti- colonial
movement
Bandung Conference 1955 - Zhou implied that US was a threat to world
peace
During the cultural revolution, the Chinese increased its attacks on the United States
through propaganda tactics, and attacked the flaws of their capitalist system
Activity 5:
1. What is the message of the cartoonist here?
Communism became the new religion, it was almost hailed as a spiritual and god-like idea

Sino- American dtente in 1970s

started in 1969 and United States began to ease trade restrictions
United States changed its policy towards PRCs membership in the
United Nations
ping-pong diplomacy secret talks between Kissinger
and Zhou
1972 Nixon visits Beijing joint communique issued,
establishing new relationship between two superpowers
Cause: Why did USA want dtente with PRC?
Kissinger: Nixon knew that the Vietnam War had already stirred up
enough public anger and he could not end the war by sending more troops in. Decided to
change its direction of politics against communism.
Vietnam War proved containment to be a failure
public support in USA for more constructive strategies and diplomacy
PRC ICBM capability, USA wanted to control and
oversee PRC actions, dangerous to not know what they are up to

USA wanted to reduce commitments in Asia but retain bases in the

Pacific
1972 Shanghai Communique joint Sino- American statement

Activity 6:
1. Source A - The situation in Vietnam proved containment to be a failure, Nixon wanted to
retain public support and the public wanted more constructive and peaceful strategies to solve the
problem.
Source B - Containment had failed in Vietnam due to US monolithic view of communism
Source C

Causes: Why China wanted dtente with the USA?

wanted to reduce tensions with USA in 1960s and 1970s, as it was its
main rival
gain concessions on key foreign policy
worried about the rising of Japan
Events: What did China gain?
United Nations membership
Result of UN membership for PRC
Taiwan
Japan
Events: What did US gain?
Vietnam
Wider context