America's China Policy And China In The Un Representation Problem (1949-1971),

The issue of Chinese Representation in the United Nations is an important aspect of the rivalry between China and the United States during the Cold War. This paper elaborates the process of the evolution of the US’s policy towards the issue of Chinese representation in the United Nations from1949to1971. The process of evolution of the US’s policy is also discussed in the context of the rivalry of the United States and the Soviet Union and in the change of international political structure.This paper mainly consists of four parts. The first chapter describes the Sino-UN relationship. Because of the Chinese tremendous contribution to the victory of the World War against Fascism, the international status of China is greatly enhanced and widely recognized by the international community. During the course of the establishment of the United Nations, China became a sponsor country among the four sponsor countries and got a permanent member of the Security Council. After the San Francisco Conference in1946, Republic of China was on behalf of the Chinese all the time.The second chapter describes the origin of the Chinese representation and America’s China policy from1949to1960. Along with the failure of the Kuomintang government in the civil war and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the government of the People’s Republic of China became the sole legal government in China and it should have and execute the power in the United Nations on behalf of the Chinese. In November1949, the government of China proposed to restore New China’s legitimate seat in the UN. In January1951, the representative of the Soviet Union addressed one major objection about the nonrecognition of the representatives of Kuomintang and proposed to drive them out of the UN Security Council. Because of the policy of nonrecognition and "Wait for the dust to be settled" towards China taken by the United States, it insisted upon a netural course on the issue of Chinese Representation in the United Nations. After the outbreak of the Korean War, the United States took the comprehensive containment strategy towards the communist China. The United States was opposed to the access of China into the United Nations. In the fifth session of the UN general assembly in September1950, the drafts resolutions about the recognition of China’s representation in the United Nations raised by the Soviet Union and India were rejected. America claimed its objection was because of the fighting between China and Armed forces for United Nations in the North Korea. Form the6th general assembly in1951to the15th general assembly in1960, the United States took the measure of "Moratorium Resolution" on the issue of Chinese Representation in the United Nations.The third chapter is about the dilemma of American containment policy towards China and the stalemate in the issue of Chinese Representation in the United Nations from1961to1968. American containment and isolation policy towards China continued be adopted in1960s. But with the American further involvement in the Vietnam War abroad and the national anti-war movement and instability at home, the United States got into trouble and the American foreign policy and strategy was limited. There are two major changes in the United Nations during this time. With more and more African countries becoming the member of the United Nations, the domination of the United States in the United Nations was limited. The number of countries which supports the "Moratorium Resolution" is decreasing. The United States initiated the "important question" resolution in16th General Assembly and regarded Chinese representation in the United Nations as the major issue.The forth chapter talks about the Sino-US relation’s detente and settlement of the issue of Chinese Representation in the United Nations. By the end of1960s and the early1970s, there were changes in the International pattern. The Five-power center appeared in the world, the global hegemony strategy of the United States was pinned down greatly by the Vietnam War and the Sino-Soviet alliance broke down. The changes in the international situation made the United States realize the strategic benefits of the improvement of the China-U.S. relations. The United States began to adjust its policy towards China and mend the relations with China. The block of the Chinese representation in the United Nations was unsustainable at the same time. In the25th general assembly in1970, though the "important question" draft resolution was passed, the draft resolution about the resumption of Chinese legitimate seat in the United Nations won the support of most countries. The United States sought to get rid of the passive status and put forward to the "Dual Representation", which meant seat Peking in the UN while the membership of "Republic of China" would be continued. It was the "Two China" policy in fact and ended in failure. On October25,1971, the26th session of the UN general assembly was to vote on the issue of Chinese representation in the United Nations and the "Important Question Inverse" draft resolution was rejected. Then the Albanian resolution was to vote and it was passed overwhelmingly, which restored the legitimate rights of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations. The issue of Chinese representation in the United Nations was finally resolved.With a systematic inspection of the issue of Chinese Representation in the United Nations, it can be seen that the struggle over this issue not only refers to the diplomatic problem of the Sino-US relations but also refers to internal political problem of the cross-straits relations. In the context of Cold War, America’s China policy has changed from contradiction, containment to relaxation. And the settlement of the issue of Chinese Representation in the United Nations is the result of fact that the US faces reality and views the changes of China’s international status and influence from a strategic perspective, it is also a result of Sino-US’s detente.