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U.S. Security Policy Towards China During The Carter Administration

Posted on:2015-10-02Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:C S LiangFull Text:PDF
GTID:2296330461958326Subject:Special History
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Military relations is the most sensitive relations between countries, also one of the most important indicators to measure the inter-state relations.Although some previous works had mentioned occasionally the topic on the Sino-U.S. military relations and the U.S. security policy towards China during the Carter administration, there are still much study work could be done. Now, with the gradually decryption of the U.S. diplomatic files of the Carter era, the conditions for the study on this topic are more mature.This paper intends to use the newly declassified U.S. State Department archives, in combination with other archives, related parties’memoirs, and the previous studies, to conduct a re-examination and comprehensive microscopic studies on the U.S. security policy towards China and the Sino-U.S. military ties during the Carter administration. After exploring the context, specific contents, and the evolution of the policy, this paper analyzed the reasons for the policy evolution, and the characteristics and limits of the U.S. Policy. The paper concluded that the U.S. security policy towards China in this period has gone from idea to implementation and then to expansion. And the policy was affected by many internal and external factors, among which some are promoting ones in bilateral security cooperation, some are restrictions even hinder ones. In their common influence, the U.S. security policy towards China and Sino-U.S. security relationship shows the characteristics of limited cooperation, which reflected the complexity of Sino-US relations.Firstly, the U.S. security policy towards China during the Carter Administration has gone from idea to implementation and then to expansion in the process. In the early, the U.S. government discussed transfer of defense-related technology and Brzezinski issued a policy initiative to establish a secure relationship with China at the same period. In 1978, the United States began to adjust its Asia strategy, paying more attention to China security role, and establish the principle of make small difference between the Soviet Union and China on the technology transfer policy After the Sino-Vietnam war broke out, based on its own strategic security interests in the Asia-Pacific and its setting on China’s security role, the United States started to develop an overall vision of the security policy towards China. In response to the normalization of relations and the Soviet offensive situation and other factors, the Sino-U.S. security cooperation officially opened in May 1979. However, there are still different views within the U.S. Government. Through twice policy debate around Brown’s visit to China, the U.S. government further defined its security policy towards China from the whole to the details. In the context of Soviet war in Afghanistan, Brown’s visit directly contributed to the US security cooperation with China. The two sides entered a substantive security relationship. By this opportunity, the two countries launched specific cooperative relationship in the security field. This cooperative relations came to the close smoothly with the Carter administration stepped down.Secondly, the U.S. security policy towards China during the Carter Administration developed major in high-level visits, the establishment and applications of military exchange mechanism, technology transfer and other aspects. So the paper discussed and analyzed the changes of the policy in these three different fields on various time periods. After the establishment of diplomatic relations, the most important way to promote security cooperation between the U.S. and China is the high-level officers’visits, among which Deng Xiaoping’visit to the U.S., Brown’s visit to China,and the Chinese military delegation’s visit to the U.S. are particularly important. During these visits, the two sides established a mechanism for military exchanges, covering all aspects of logistics, low-level officers, military academic exchanges. Along with the development of bilateral military relations, the U.S. control policy on technology transfer to China gradually loosened,expanded and become more flexible. In a word, the U.S. security policy towards China during this time was slowly undergoing different changes at different levels.Finally, after clarifying the contents of the policy and the process of its making, the article analyzed the changes in the U.S. security policy towards China and its characteristics, dynamic mechanism, limiting factors. The study found that U.S. security policy towards China was effected by the triangle of diplomatic relations, bilateral relations, U.S. Allies’ attitudes and policies, bureaucratic politics and other factors. And some of the factors that promote security cooperative relationship, have another side, which limit the further policy changes to a certain extent. In short, the Sino-US security relationship is a limited partnership.
Keywords/Search Tags:Carter Administration, Sino-U.S. Relations, Military Relations, Security Policy
PDF Full Text Request
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