The Role Of Congress In The U.S. China Policy During Carter Administration

The Carter administration is a significant period in the development of Sino-US relations.During Carter’s term of office,China and the United States put an end to the long-term abnormal state of bilateral relations and formally pushed the development of bilateral relations to a new historical stage.At the same time,the Carter administration was also a period of comprehensive rejuvenation of the diplomatic power of the U.S.Congress.In the 1970 s,for more than two decades after1945,the political consensus that American presidents had the advantage of dealing with crises and maintaining coherence in foreign policy was broken.A series of events,such as the failure of Vietnam War and the disclosure of Watergate Scandal,made the US Congress in this period gradually reestablish its authority in foreign policy and constantly play a role in the field of foreign affairs.The United States policy towards China during the Carter administration was influenced by many factors,among which the 95 th and 96 th Congresses were the momentous factors.In order to ensure the Congress’ s participation in the normalization of Sino-US relations and express its position on the Taiwan question,the Congress intervened in the normalization of relations between the two countries by sending delegation and proposing a bill to restrict the Carter Administration’s diplomatic action authority.On the Taiwan question after the normalization of relation,the Carter Administration’s secret action to normalize Sino-US relations aroused strong dissatisfaction from the U.S.Congress,which immediately launched a counter-measures against the Carter Administration’s action to normalize Sino-US relations.Congress intervened and amended Carter Administration’s China policy in an all-round way,and finally promoted the Taiwan Relations Law.In terms of economic and trade negotiations after the normalization of relations between the two countries,the non cooperative attitude of Congress made the progress of economic and trade negotiations slow.After the Carter Administration submitted the agreement to Congress for deliberation at the end of October 1979,Congress did not immediately vote on the issue of economic and trade negotiations.It was not until the war of Afghanistan that the Congress changed its attitude on the issue of economic and trade negotiations,took prompt action,completed the economic and trade negotiations a between the United States and China,and promoted the process of normalization of economic relations between the two countries.Throughout the influence of the U.S.Congress on the Carter Administration’s China policy during the Carter administration,the negative effect of congressional intervention on the development of Sino-US relations is greater than its positive effect.The 95 th and 96 th U.S.congresses set many barriers for the development of the relations between the two countries.Since the normalization of Sino-US relations,there are many things worth summarizing about the development of bilateral relations.As for the U.S.Congress,we often regard it as a single legislature and ignore the great power of Congress in the field of foreign affairs.We should analyze and perspective the "political labyrinth" on the Hill more comprehensively and hierarchically,and treat and understand the influence and role of the U.S.Congress in the diplomatic and political with the times.