General Scowcroft on the Relationship between the US and China

Connor McLean

MLSC 121, Section 501

Captain Nickel
November 19, 2013

The United States and China are the two leading world powers in the modern world. Our relationship with
them is of utmost importance in regards to trade, diplomacy, and global power. However, the US and China have a
very fragile relationship.
The most significant thing I learned in the General Scowcroft presentation was that the US and China know
very little about each other. China and the US have always been on opposing sides of global conflict. When the
Communist government collapsed in the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989, China emerged as the leading Communist
nation. Since then, the goal of the United States has been to contain China and not allow the balance of power in the
world to shift. The US does view China as a possible threat, but we are not enemies at this point in time.
Our current military strategy in China is to keep an eye on their military buildup and movements, but do
everything we can to avoid the possibility of war and perhaps improve our relationship with them. This year, the US
invited China to participate in RIMPAC, a large joint naval exercise in the Pacific. This is the first time that China
has agreed to participate which may indicate a step forward in our relationship.
Part of the issue with our relationship with China is our continued support of Taiwan. China does not
recognize Taiwan as a nation and believes that they should belong to China. In 2010, China protested the US
granting 6.4 billion dollars to Taiwan in military aid, according to Chinese media. Although this was almost 4 years
ago, it is a perfect example of the types of situations that lead to the deterioration of the relationship between our
two countries.
As a future leader in the US private sector, I hope to contribute to the relationship between the US and
China by forming meaningful business relationships with Chinese counterparts. I believe one of the most important
things I can do is strengthen both the US economy and the Chinese economy. As a geology major, I want to go into
the petroleum industry and search for new deposits of natural resources. A discovery of new material would bring
wealth and stability to both of our nations, thus decreasing the potential for armed conflict.

Analysis: Superpower rivalry between US, China shows signs of softening, last modified September 14,
2013,http://behindthewall.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/14/20476425-analysis-superpower-rivalry-between-uschina-shows-signs-of-softening
Major events in China-US military ties since 2008, last modified October 12, 2010,
http://www.china.org.cn/world/2010-10/12/content_21103499.htm