China and U.S. relations: competitive and contentious

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing in June 2023. Source: PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs

10 July 2023

For the past 40 years, China-U.S. ties have been complicated. Since the diplomatic connections between the two countries were established in 1979, the relationship between the two has gone through several stages, gradually developing into diplomatic, commercial, and most recently, security relations.

By Katie Zeng Xiaojun, North, South and Central Asia analyst

The most crucial issue among them is Taiwan's future, which continues to be the most delicate subject in the two-way relationship. Although China has been adamant in its claim to Taiwan and has forewarned against any outside involvement, the U.S. is committed to assisting Taiwan in maintaining its security. The U.S. has extended its military presence in the area and strengthened relationships with nations like Japan and Australia over time, while China has increased its military buildups across the Taiwan Strait. The potential for a military conflict over Taiwan remains a significant concern.

China has undergone rapid modernisation of its military capabilities, including its navy, air force, missile systems, and space capabilities. This has raised concerns in the U.S. which sees China's military advancements as a potential challenge to the U.S. military dominance in the Asia-Pacific region and a provocation towards war. The U.S. has responded by increasing its military presence, conducting joint military exercises, and enhancing its alliances and partnerships in the region. Recently in April, the U.S. and the Philippines held joint military drills a day after China concluded a large-scale exercise around Taiwan.

China has expanded its South China Sea territorial claims since 2014. The U.S. has been critical of China's construction of artificial islands and militarisation of the region, viewing it as an obstruction to freedom of navigation and regional stability. The U.S. has conducted regular freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) in the contested waters to demonstrate its firm opposition to China’s claims, which has raised tensions in the area. In June, a Chinese naval ship sailed into the path of a U.S. warship in the Taiwan Strait in the latest act of tit-for-tat aggression. The U.S. destroyer was conducting FONOPs with a Canadian frigate in the vicinity.

China-U.S. relations are not primarily characterised by rivalry and conflict. Trade, investment, and global health are a few examples of areas where both countries can work together and share interests. Nonetheless, the relationship between the two countries remains complex and is influenced by a wide range of factors which may cause tension and a significant concern for regional stability.

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