On Trade And Economic Policy Of The Clinton Administration

Sino-US relations cover a large range of issue areas. AInong them, traderelation is unique due to its different development pattern. Focusing on ClintonAdministration, this essay studies America's trade policy to China and analyzes theelements behind the shaping of the policy.The essay falls into four parts.The firSt pan makes a general survey of Sino-US trade relation from thefOunding of the PRC to the end of Bush Administration. In this period. Ainerica'sfOreign trade policy to China experienced drastic and hard changes.The second part deals with Clinton's foreign trade policy to China. During thecamPaign, Clifiton criticized President Bush's policy to China and vowed to use thefOreign trade as a lever to make China improve its human rights conditions. Aner hewas eleCted, Clinton linked China's MFN stat[Js with human rights issue in l993. Inl994, because of various reasons, Clinton de-linked human rights issue from China'SW stams and began to adopt his "engagemeflt" policy to China. From l995onward, Clinton tried his best to urge the congress to grant China the MFN status.The third part contains analyses of the shaping of Clinion's foreign tradepolicy to China. The elements which shape the policy-making come from differentlayers. At the international level, an interdependent worldprovids the generalphrarnework of Sino-US relations. At the national level, the domestic forces haveinfluenced AInerica's foreign trade policy. In addition. Clinton's policy naturallyhas something to do with his characteristics.The conclusion of the essay lies in the last part; in the first tWo years ofClinton Administration, Idealism seemed to be on the rise in his policy-making,from l994 on, pragmatism and realism began to play a leading role in Clinton'sfOreign trade policy to China.