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Promising more cooperation and liability in the new year, the U.S.-China commemorated a historic 45years of diplomatic relationship in January 2024. Deng Xiaoping and Jimmy Carter were the two leaders who succeeded in normalizing the ideologically polarized country’s tangled relationship. After passing lots of peaks and valleys in the past, the U.S.-China relationship now stands in a landscape where only adherence to the mutual respect doctrine can balance their volatile coexistence. Despite having poles apart national ideologies from the very start, these two greatest global powers kick-started their official diplomatic engagement in the year 1979. The progress can be figured out from the astonishing fact that today their bilateral trade stands at $760bn in comparison to $2.5bn in 1979. But the path was not a smooth one. Their contest started in 1949 when America backed the Chiang’s Taiwan exiled Chinese Nationalist Government over Mao Zedong’s Communist government. Later on, both enemies fought the oppositewhile extending support to respective ally groups during the ‘Korean War’. Further deterioration occurred involving deployment at the ‘Taiwan Strait’ when the U.S. directlythreatened nuclear war on China in 1955. But their relationship got momentum with China’s successful nuclear test in 1964, amid ‘The Vietnam crisis’. Gradually, both countries then started making efforts to normalize long-strained differences through diplomatic initiatives. Among these,the famous ‘Ping-Pong diplomacy’, Presidential visits, full diplomatic recognition, and trade agreements are the most significant ones.Through expanding its military, economic, and naval power in a short period, China has emerged as one of the global powerhouses. China’s entry into the World Trade Organization dismissed trade barriers between both countries in the sense that it allowed large amounts of foreign investment, job creation, and business enhancement.In 2019, a trade war with its rival China has severely hampered the US economy. Research says, about 62%of Americans areuneasy about China’s robust diplomatic relationship with Russia whereas the highest concern of 81% involves China’s powerful economic progress being a threat to America’s top position. Competition is intensifying in technological innovation which means more influence in international politics through military and monetary strength. In the race of superiority rivalry, China presently has the upper hand in global mineral supply chains, and on the other hand, the U.S. is the dominator in the semiconductor field. To encounter China’s dominance, America took roots of subsidies, and tax credit beneficiaries for its domestic automakers as well as imposed sanctions on China.China is putting efforts into ‘Data weaponization’ by restricting data flow beyond borders for a more secure digital economy.

Nevertheless, rigidity still flows over China’s authority on the South China Sea, minority abuse,and Taiwan-like issues. Of late, the profound built-in tension shot up freshly when China sanctioned defense-related companies of the USA, in response to retaliate America’s $300 million arms sales deal to Taiwan which is viewed as a sovereignty breach. Given the expected colossal missile buildup in the Indo-Pacific region by 2030, it may not be an overstatement that the dynamics of the USA and China relationship are bound to come under unavoidable war situations at any time.Even the staff-level ‘Military-to-Military Dialogue’ termed as an invaluable foreign diplomacy tool for diminishing conflicting concerns has been halted since 2021 due to the Taiwan crisis between these two countries. Megaproject ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ projecting close ties of China inthe Middle East. China’s increased strategic cooperative ties with like-minded Russia, and North Korea are troubling USA in terms of maintaining its existing geopolitical hegemony.Moreover, regular military operations, and maritime patrolling backed by the USA happened throughout 2023 at the South China Sea. Multilateral security agreements between USA, Japan, Philippines, Australia, and Vietnam regarding the South China Sea territory dispute have threatened China’s interests.

Channeling this trajectory of differences in more innovative and inclusive ways, these so-called systematic rivals can utilize advancement on various fronts. To sail off this cooperation, China has called for restarting the US-China Science and Technology agreement, also increasing direct flight numbers between both countries. Initiatives of ‘Military-to-Military Dialogue’, ‘Joint Anti-Narcotics group’,and sending giant pandas as a ‘symbol of friendship’ opened the door to revive cooperation and trust at the San Francisco Summit between the two country's presidents held in November.They have also reached consent to unite on global crises like climate change, artificial intelligence, and counter-narcotics areas. On the Taiwan issue, China is openly asking for America’s cooperation by not interfering in its domestic matters, refraining from selling arms to Taiwan, and supporting its independence. Whether this call for ‘Friendship’ will succeed or not, only time will say.

Trapa Sarker is a Research Intern at CGS