Relaxation Of Restrictions On U.S. Trade With China During The Nixon Presidency

The dissertation bases on declassified documents of Foreign Relations of the UnitedStates, and mainly studies relaxation of restrictions on the U.S. trade with China during theNixon presidency. The essence of the relaxation is a part of the overall adjustment of the U.S.strategy after the Second World War in order to maintain U.S. dominance in the world. In1969, when Nixon assumed the reins of government, the U.S. faced severe challenges athome and abroad: First, Vietnam War made crises break out at home, and the crisesthreatened the foundation of the America's society. At the same time, the America'sleadership had been aware that U.S. impossibly won the war. So ending the Vietnam War hadbeen one of the important issues of the America's diplomacy. Second, the Soviet Unionrapidly expanded military force and contested strategic places with the U.S. when America'spower declined. Again, America's economy was declining at this time, and economic crisisemerged. In international trade, the competition ability of the America's commoditiesweakened, and the U.S. presented itself with trade deficit. Under these conditions, Nixonraised Nixon Doctrine, and carried out strategic adjustment on the America's foreign policiyafter the Second World War. Nixon administration held out olive to China——adjusting tradepolicy with China under the very conditions. Nixon administration attempted to bringpressure in the Soviet Union by this action, and made it more cooperative. Meanwhile,President Nixon hoped to use China's force to end the Vietnam War. The relaxation ofrestrictions on the U.S. trade with China closed the overall U.S. embargoes against China,opened the door of Sino-American trade, and laid the foundations for the normality of theSino-American relations and the expansion of Sino-American trade.The dissertation includes three parts as follow:Introduction: mainly narrates the article's research object, content, and the presentsituation of academic research on this topic and practical significance.Text: explores the course of the relaxation of the restrictions on the U.S. trade with Chinaduring the Nixon presidency in detail. The text is divided into three parts.Part One briefly reviews the export control policies on U.S. trade with China throughoutTruman to Johnson presidency. After the frustration of the policy of aiding Jianganti-communist, especially after the Korean War broke out, the U.S. established the overalltrade control against China step by step dependent on its strong economic and militarypreponderance. So when Nixon assumed the reins of government, the U.S. maintained theoverall embargo against China.Part Two discusses the course and measures about relaxation of the restrictions on theU.S. trade with China during the Nixon presidency in detail. When Nixon assumed the reinsof government, the international situation had changed greatly. China and the U.S. both facedthe necessity of adjusting the foreign policy, so the common Soviet threat made theleaderships of the two countries determine to relax Sino-American relations. Nixonadministration decided to communicate the compromise signal by relaxing the restrictions onU.S. trade with China, relaxed the overall embargo against China step by step, abolished"China differential", and opened the door of the Sino-American direct trade.Part Three evaluates the policy of the relaxation of the restrictions on trade. The policy isone part of the overall adjustment of the America's foreign policy after the Second World War,and the important part of broader America's strategy of detente. The relaxation helps to Chinaand the U.S., especially the U.S. resolves a series of economic and political issues. The moreimportant significance of the adjustment lies in promoting the normality of Sino-Americanrelations and the expansion of the Sino-American trade. And the adjustment brings greatchanges to the international structure then and later.Conclusion: shows the national interest is the decisive element of the foreign policy andinternational relations, and the regime and ideology influence the foreign policy andinternational relations to a great extent. This also accounts for the cause of limitations ofAmerica's relaxation of restrictions on U.S. trade with China.