[TMJC] SINO-US LECTURE NOTES

H1 History 8821 Theme 2: The Cold War in Asia, 1945 – 1991 Topic 1: Superpower Relations with China TMJC History Unit- Updated Jan 2022 SUPERPOWER RELATIONS WITH CHINA (1950 – 1979) SINO-AMERICAN RELATIONS 1. Overview 2. Sample Prelim questions 3. Causes leading to Deterioration of Sino-American Relations (1949 – 1969) 4. Causes leading to improvement of Sino-American Relations: Détente & Era of Rapprochement (1970-1972) 5. Effect from Normalisation of relations from 1972 onwards Learning outcomes: • Evaluate the development of superpower relations with China during the Cold War. • Analyse the factors contributing to the involvement of external powers in Southeast Asia during the Cold War and their impact. 1. Overall Analysis & Evaluation Irreconcilable ideological orientations initially wrecked problems and hostility in the US-Sino relations, but it proved insufficient in the long run to prevent the PRC and the US to gradually form amicable ties with one another from 1969 to 1979 in search of common interests against their common foe, the USSR, due to growing security concerns. Hence, causing them to shelve their traditional ideological differences and accept the reality to work together for mutual benefits against the USSR and to boost their own national economy. Hence, this caused the Cold War to become a tripolar triangular power play amongst the 3 superpowers as they sought to outdo and outrival the other through the manipulation of one against the other. On the surface, both seemed to have benefitted equally in terms of security, strategic and economic gains. However, in reality, it is arguable that the PRC gained more because the strategically encircled PRC (US containment & USSR border threat) could thus improve its security and be in good terms with its ideological rival (USA), which then allowed it to make further political concessions in its favour of key issues like Taiwan and its UN membership. 2. Possible Questions • To what extent was the Korean War a turning point in Sino-American relations from 1950 to 1970? (ASRJC Prelim 2021) • ‘More similar than dissimilar.” How accurate is this description of the development of Sino Soviet relations as compared with that of Sino-American relations from 1950 to 1979? (SAJC Prelim 2021) • “Sino-Soviet relations between 1950 and 1979 were primarily influenced by Sino-American ties.” How far do you agree with this? (TJC Prelim 2021)

H1 History 8821 Theme 2: The Cold War in Asia, 1945 – 1991 Topic 1: Superpower Relations with China TMJC History Unit- Updated Jan 2022 3. Causes leading to Deterioration of Sino-American Relations (1949 – 1969) Prior to the Korean War o Roots of Sino-Us hostility before the Korean War (1945-1949) US’ support for the Kuomintang (KMT) in WW2 and Chinese Civil War - During the Asia Pacific War in WW2, the US had some direct contact with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and gave it some material assistance in the fight against Japan. However, most US aid went to Chiang Kai-Shek and the Nationalist Kuomintang Party (KMT). - After the Japanese surrendered and withdrew from China at the end of the war, the CCP and KMT fought each other in a civil war. - Despite over $3 billion of US assistance and advice to Chiang’s ‘anti-communist’ forces, this did not bring about the Nationalist victory the US had hoped for. Mao subsequently established the People’s Republic of China (PRC) - The US refused to recognise the Communist-controlled People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a legitimate state. Instead, they backed Chiang Kai-Shek and the Chinese Nationalists who had fled to the island of Taiwan, about 100 miles off the coast of mainland China. - Soon, Taiwan quickly became the key area of dispute between the USA and the PRC. And the US ensured that it was the anti-Communists in Taiwan and not the PRC that were given China’s seat at the United Nations. *Significance to the USA: - This perceived ‘loss of China’ to communism The fall of China to Communism alarmed the USA as it was perceived as the fusion of a monolithic Communist bloc bent on spreading Communism in Asia. - One month before the PRC declared victory, it was announced that Soviet Union had successfully tested the atomic bomb. This took the US military by surprise as it had expected the Soviets to take a few more years to produce a nuclear device. - Hence, whilst Stalin greeted Mao’s victory with a mixture of distrust and grudging respect, the USA’s threat perception was greatly heightened at the prospect of an enormous country (with a population estimated at about 550 million) had just joined the communist camp, upstaging the strategic advantage that the USA previously had. - The communist victory in China in October 1949, coupled with the successful testing of the atomic bomb by the USSR in August 1949, spooked the Americans badly. American foreign policy elites had expected their monopoly of atomic weapons to last longer than four years just as they had regarded China as their special protégé in Asia. With the atomic monopoly broken, and the spectre of an expanding monolithic communist front, public confidence in the Truman Administration was severely shaken. - Moreover, the communist victory in China came at a time when economic recovery seemed to falter in Western Europe and Japan, and the US experienced its first postwar economic downturn.

H1 History 8821 Theme 2: The Cold War in Asia, 1945 – 1991 Topic 1: Superpower Relations with China TMJC History Unit- Updated Jan 2022 - There was also a fear that other Third World countries may experience a similar revolution in China. The ‘Domino Theory’ became a popular analogy during this period of the Cold War to illustrate how countries would fall like dominoes, succumbing to communism one after another. - The reaction was far-reaching as American public opinion set out to look for those who had misled—or worse, betrayed—the country. In the next few years, it was impossible for any American political leader to appear to be ‘soft on communist’, and thus repeated the mistakes allegedly made in China. - A new document NSC 68, advocating the adoption of more trenchant policies towards the apparent increasing prospect of a global communist threat, gained dominance, replacing the more cautious containment policies inspired by George Kennan. (change) - Domestically, America would to experience a period (1950-4) of vociferous campaigning against alleged communist in the US government and other intuitions, otherwise known as McCarthyism Hence, the USA was refused to recognise the PRC, *Significance to China: - Mao already distrusted the Americans due to its immense support to the KMT during the civil war. Thus, he always had a fear that China was in constant danger of a strike against them by Western forces. o Sino-Soviet Threat of Friendship and Alliance (February 1950) - On February 14, 1950, Mao, after weeks of contentious discussions with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in Moscow, signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance. - In response, the Chiefs of Staff (JCS) began to reconsider its position regarding Taiwan, lobbying Truman and Acheson to adopt a policy of defending Taiwan and providing military and economic aid to it. *Significance to US: Containment policy changed to one more aggressive to ‘roll back communism’ NSC-68 Background - In face of the Soviet atomic bomb and the Chinese communist victory, the National Security Council undertook a review of American interests, dangers and options and produced a long memorandum, known as NSC-68 (dated 14 April 1950). - This document, which was only declassified in the 1970s, became known as NSC-68, had a formative influence on the way America waged the Cold War. It drew from the writings of George F. Kennan, specifically the "Long Telegram" in 1946 and the X Artic