Source: fmprc.gov.cn

05-21-2007 18:14

1. Establishment of Diplomatic Relations

China and the U.S. issued "Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America" on December 16, 1978. China and the U.S. formally established diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level on January 1, 1979.

2.Summary of the Normalization of China-U.S. Relations and the Bilateral Relations since the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Two Countries

In February 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China at the invitation of Zhou Enlai, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The door to contact and exchanges between China and the U.S. was reopened. During Nixon's visit to China, China and the U.S. issued the " Joint Communique between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America" ( also referred as the "Shanghai Communiqué") on February 28, 1972. U.S. President Gerald Ford visited China in December 1975. On January 1, 1979, China and the U.S. formally established diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level. The U.S. announced the severance of its so-called diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the withdrawal of its troops from Taiwan and the ceasing of the U.S.-Taiwan Joint Defense Treaty within the year (also referred as "sever diplomatic ties, abrogate the Treaty and withdraw troops"). In January 1979, China's leader Deng Xiaoping visited the U.S. at the invitation of U.S. President Jimmy Carter, opening a new chapter in the history of China-U.S. relations. On August 17, 1982, the Chinese and U.S. Governments issued the "China-U.S. August 17 Communiqué". The U.S. side undertook in the communique that "it does not seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan, that its arms sales to Taiwan will not exceed, either in qualitative or in quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, and that it intends gradually to reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a period of time, to a final resolution". The three China-U.S. Joint Communiques ( the "Shanghai Communiqué", the "Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America" and the "China-U.S. August 17 Communiqué") constitute the documents guiding the development of China-U.S. relations.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and the U.S. have conducted exchanges and cooperation in the extensive fields of politics, economy, education, culture, science and technology, military, etc. In January 1984, Chinese Premier visited the U.S. In April 1984, U.S. President Ronald Reagan visited China. In July 1985, Chinese President Li Xiannian visited the U.S., which was the first visit to the U.S. by a Chinese head of state. In February 1989, U.S. President George Bush paid a working visit to China. Wan Li, Chairman of the Standing Committee of National People's Congress of China visited the U.S. in May 1989.

After the political turmoil in Beijing in 1989, the U.S. announced "sanctions" against China and suspended high-level exchanges between the two countries, which led to the serious worsening of the bilateral relations.

Respectively in July and December of 1989, U.S. President George Bush twice sent Brent Scrowcroft, Advisor to the President for National Security Affairs, as his special envoy to visit China. From November 31 to December 1, 1990, Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen visited the U.S. at the invitation of James Baker, U.S. Secretary of State. In November 1991, U.S. Secretary of State Baker visited China upon invitation. In 1992, the U.S. Government announced the sale of 150 F-16 fighter aircrafts to Taiwan, which seriously violated the China-U.S. August 17 Communique and again undermined the bilateral relations.

On November 19, 1993, Chinese President Jiang Zemin held his first official meeting with U.S. President Bill Clinton during the APEC Leaders Informal Meeting in Seattle. The two leaders stated that for the common interests of both countries, China and the U.S. should view and handle their relations from a strategic and 21st- century perspective, and properly handle the differences between them. The two leaders held several meetings on the occasion of the APEC Informal Leaders Meeting ever since then.

In May 1995, the U.S. Government announced its decision to permit Lee Teng-hui to pay a "private visit" to the U.S. in June of the same year. China-U.S. relations plummeted to its lowest point. The Chinese Government expressed its strong opposition and made solemn respresentation to the U.S. Government over such an act of interfering with China's internal affairs and infringing upon China's sovereignty.

From the end of October to the beginning of November, 1997, Chinese President Jiang Zemin paid a state visit to the U.S. at the invitation of U.S. President Bill Clinton, which was the first state visit to the U.S. by Chinese head of state in 12 years. This visit has achieved the goal of enhancing mutual understanding, broadening common ground, developing cooperation and building a future together, and ushered the China-U.S. relations to a new stage. During the visit, the two sides signed the "Joint China-U.S. Statement" on October 29. The two sides agreed in the Statement to approach China-U.S. relations on the basis of the principles of the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques and build towards a constructive strategic partnership between China and the U.S. The two sides agreed to further promote cooperation in bilateral economic and trade relations, expand exchanges and cooperation in the fields of environment protection, energy, science and technology, law, education, culture, etc. The U.S. side reiterated in the "Joint China-U.S. Statement" that it adheres to its "one China" policy and the principles set forth in the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques. U.S. leaders reiterated publicly and unequivocally that the U.S. Government does not support the ideas of "Two Chinas" or "One China, One Taiwan", does not support Taiwan's independence, does not support Taiwan's membership in the UN, and will handle the issue of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan in accordance with the principles laid by the China-U.S. August 17 Communique. Besides Washington, D.C., President Jiang visited Honolulu, Williamsburg, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Los Angeles. Through the speeches, press interviews and other activities, President Jiang had met with a broad spectrum of personage in the U.S., including members of U.S. congress, major news media, the business community and academic circles, which enhanced the American people's understanding of China.

In January 1998, during U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen's visit to China, the two sides signed the Agreement between the Ministry of Defense of China and the U.S. Department of Defense on Establishing a Consultation Mechanism to Strengthen Military Maritime Safety. From April 29 to May 1, U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright visited China. The foreign ministers of the two countries signed the Agreement Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the United States of America on the Establishment of Direct Secure Telephone Link. On May 25, Chinese President Jiang Zemin and U.S. President Bill Clinton had their first talk through the newly established direct secure telephone link, exchanging views on the situation in South Asia and China-U.S. Relations. On June 1 - 2, Samuel Burger, U.S. Advisor to the President for National Security Affairs visited China. On June 3, U.S. President Bill Clinton announced the extension of China's MFN trading status for another year.

From June 25 to July 3, U.S. President Bill Clinton paid a state visit to China at the invitation of President Jiang Zemin. President Jiang Zemin and President Clinton reached important consensus on a wide range of issues in their talks. The two sides agreed that China and U.S. should further strengthen dialogues and cooperation on major international issues. The two sides agreed to continue in concerted efforts to make greater strides towards the goal of building a constructive strategic partnership between China and the U.S. gearing towards the 21st century. The two sides decided not to target the strategic nuclear weapons under their respective control at each other. The two sides agreed to further strengthen the strategic dialogue in economic and financial sector so as to make positive contribution to a healthy development of world economy and finance. The two sides issued the Joint Statement on the Negotiation of the Protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention and the Joint Statement on Banning Anti-Personnel Landmines. The two sides held in-depth discussions on the question of nuclear proliferation in South Asia and issued the Joint China-U.S. Statement on the Issue of South Asia. The two sides agreed to continue to strengthen and expand cooperation and exchanges in the vast fields of politics, economy and trade, environment protection, energy, culture, education, science and technology, military, law, etc. Besides Beijing, President Clinton visited Xi'an, Shanghai, Guilin and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

On July 27, Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan met with U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright during the Foreign Ministers Meeting of ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila. In September, Zhang Wannian, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of China visited the U.S. From September 27 to 29, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan visited the U.S. On November 16, during the sixth APEC Informal Leaders Meeting in Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia, President Jiang Zemin met with U.S. Vice President Al Gore , who attended the meeting on behalf of President Clinton.

On January 1, 1999, President Jiang Zemin and President Bill Clinton exchanged congratulatory letters on the occation of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S. From March 1 to 2, U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright visited China. On March 27, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson expressed China's strong opposition to the U.S. Government's decision to sponsor a China-related motion on the 55th Conference of the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

From April 4 to 14, 1999, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji paid an official visit to the U.S. at the invitation of U.S. President Bill Clinton, which was the first visit to the U.S. by a Chinese Premier in 15 years. Premier Zhu and his entourage were accorded warm welcome and reception by the U.S. Government and the American people of all circles. Premier Zhu Rongji and U.S. President Bill Clinton held two rounds of talks during the visit and had an extensive and in-depth discussion on China-U.S. relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest. Both sides indicated that they attached great importance to the development of China-U.S. relations and would continue in their concerted efforts to build toward a constructive strategic partnership between China and the U.S. On April 9, Premier Zhu Rongji and U.S. Vice President Al Gore co-chaired the opening ceremony of the 2nd session of China-U.S. Forum on Environment and Development. On April 10, Premier Zhu Rongji and President Clinton issued a joint statement on the issue of China's accession to the WTO in Washington, D.C., in which the U.S. Government expressed its commitment to firmly support China's accession to the WTO in 1999. Premier Zhu Rongji also elaborated China's principled position on the questions of Taiwan, human rights, Kosovo, etc. Besides Washington, D.C., Premier Zhu Rongji visited Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, New York and Boston.