A Retrospective Review of Sino-US Relations: Foreign Relations Strategies of Trump and Biden

This study used the methodology of a retrospective review to assess Sino-US relations and foreign relations strategies of Trump and Biden and found that while the Trump administration has ignited a trade war and a technology war with China, the stage is set for the Biden administration as to how it will handle Sino-US relations. We conclude that Biden is apparently tough on China and may counter the influence of China but will seek to maintain strategic cooperation with China on issues of mutual interest and there might be a renegotiation of the trade deal.





References:
[1] Council on Foreign Relations, “Trump’s Foreign Policy Moments Timeline,” Available at://www.cfr,org, 2021.
[2] E. Winter, “Trump’s trade war: US geoeconomics from multi-to unilateralism,” August 31, 2018.https://www.e-ir.info/2018/08/31/trumps-tradwwar-us-geoeconomics-from-multi-to-unilateralism.
[3] R. Hass and A. Denmark, “More pain than gain: How the US-China trade war hurt America,” Brookings, August 7, 2020, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/08/07/more-pain-than-gain-how-the-us-china-trade-war-hurt-america/
[4] D. Paletta, E. Nakashima and D. J. Lynch, “Trump Administration cracks down on giant Chinese tech firm, escalating clash with Beijing: The President also signed an executive order to protect US networks from foreign espionage, a move that appears to target China. The Washington Post, May 15, 2019.
[5] E. Redden, “Trump proclamation bars entry of certain Chinese students,” Inside Higher Ed, June 21, 2020.
[6] B. M. Boylan, J. McBeath and B. Wang, “US-China relations: nationalism, the trade war, and COVID-19,” Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences,” October 4, 2020, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40647=020-00302.
[7] D. Klaisataprn, “Opinion-emerging elements a a new US-China cold war,” E-International Relations, 2020, https://www.e-ir.info/2020/09/20/opinion-emerging-elements-of-a-new-us-china-cold war/.
[8] T. Franck, “Trump at Davos urges counties to ‘put their own citizens first’ as he touts US economic success,” CNBC, January 21, 2020, https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/21/davos-2020/01/21/davos-2020-trump-urges-cocountries-to-put-own-citizens-first-as-he-touts-economic-wins.html
[9] VOA, “US, Israel pull out of UNESCO, claiming bias,” VOA, January 1, 2019, https://www.voanews.com/europe/us-israel-pull-out-unesco-claiming-bias
[10] Reuters, “Donald Trump praises Britons, calls Brexit vote fantastic,” Reuters, June 24, 2016, https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/donald-trump-praises-britons-calls-brexit-vote-fantastic-1422933
[11] J. Fetterol, “Border wall is Trump’s least popular policy internationally,” Pew Research Centre, July 28, 2017, fhttps://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/07/28/border-wall-is-trumps-least-popular-policy-internationally/
[12] R. D. Blackwill, “Trump’s foreign policies are better than they seem,” Council Special Report No. 84, April, 2019, Council on Foreign Relations.
[13] Arab News, “Iran to give a ‘calculated’ response to nuclear scientist killing, says official,” Reuters, November 30, 2020.
[14] AP News, “Adviser to Iran’s leader: US attack risks full-fledged war,” November 19, 2020.
[15] C. Finnegan, “Trump vs. Biden on the issues: Foreign policy,” ABC News, October 23, 2020. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-biden-issues-foreign-policy/story?id=73658642
[16] The Print team, “Joe Biden’s foreign policy vision from his own writings and what it means for India and Modi,” The Print team, November 9, 2020, https://theprint.in/opinion/joe-bidens-foreign-policy-vision-from-his-own-writings-and-what-it-means-for-india-modi/540199.
[17] J. Leonard and M. Jamrisko, “Biden set to carve own brand of tough-on-China policy if elected,” The Japan Times, September 29, 2020.
[18] Bloomberg news, “What Biden has said on major U.S. flashpoints with China,” October 28, 2020, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-28/this-is-what-biden-s-said-on-major-u-s-flshpoints-with-china.
[19] A. Dupont, “Mitigating the new cold war: managing US-China trade, tech and geopolitical conflict,” The Centre for Independent Studies, Analysis Paper 8, May 2020.
[20] The United States of America, “Fact sheet: US-China strategic and economic dialogue,” Department of the Treasury, April 1, 2009, https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/Documents/SEDfactsheet09.pdf.
[21] United Nations, “Agreement between Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and China on confidence building in the military field in the border area,” UN: Peacemaker, Accessed December 2020, http://peacemaker.un.org/regional-confidencebuildingborders96
[22] United States, “Memorandum of understanding between the United States of America Department of Defense and the People’s Republic of China Ministry of National Defense on notification of major military activities confidence-building measures mechanism,” Department of Defense, October 31 and November 4, 2014, https//archive.defense.gov/pubs/141112_MemorandumOfUnderstandingOnNotification.pdf
[23] Japan, “ARF-ISM on ICT Security 5th G,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs, January 16, 2020, https://www.mofa.go.jp/press/relesase/press4e_002757.html
[24] S. M. Patrick, “U.S. foreign policy in a Biden Presidency,” World Politics Review, 2020, https//www.wroldpoliticsreview.com.
[25] Council of Foreign Relations, “President-Elect Joe Biden will face a suite of challenges on the global stage, from nuclear tensions with North Korea to coordinating a response to the ongoing pandemic,” President-Elect Biden on Foreign Policy, 2020, https://www.cfr.org/election2020/candidate-tracker.
[26] N. Fischer, E. V. Moeller, M. Oresman, “Trump vs. Biden: A foreign policy brief,” October 29, 2020, https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/trump-vs-biden-a-foreign-policy-brief-45012/
[27] DW, “Germany welcomes Biden plan to halt US troop withdrawal,” DW, February 5, 2021.
[28] D. Baer, “America under Biden won’t go soft on China,” Foreign Policy, November 6, 2020, https//foreignpolicy.com/2020/11/06/biden-china-trump-election/
[29] The Guardian, “Trump order signals end of US dominance in climate change battle”, March 27, 2017.
[30] O. Waever and Z. Chen, “Introduction: International leadership in an age of American retreat, Chinese return and global urgency,” Chin. Pol. Sci. Rev, 2, pp.445-451, 2017.
[31] Forbes, “Communist China is now the leader of the free trade world,” January 24, 2017, https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2017/01/24/communist-china-is-now-the-leader-of-the-free-trade-world/#3bdcee8521e0
[32] C. Lynch and R. Gramer, “U.S. and China turn coronavirus into a geopolitical football,” Foreign Policy, March 11, 2020, https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/11/coronvarirus-geopolitics-china-united-states-trump-administration-competing-global-health-response/
[33] R. Ward, “RCEP trade deal: a geopolitical win for China,” IISS, November 25, 2020, https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2020/11/rcep-trade-deal
[34] U. Daniele, “Asia forms world’s biggest trade bloc,” Arab News, November 15., 2020.
[35] H. Soesastro, “Dynamics of competitive liberalization in R.T.A. negotiations: East Asia perspectives,” Paper presented to the PECC trade Forum, April 2003,
[36] Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, http://ww.pecc.org
[37] B. Gill, “US, China’s growth as a regional economic power: Impacts and implications: bearing before the US-China economic and security review commission” (USCC), 108th Cong, December 4, 2003, statement by Merritt T. Cooke, http://www/uscc.org
[38] J. Wang, “China’s regional trade agreements: The law, geopolitics, and impact on the multilateral trading system,” Singapore year book of international law and contributors, 8, pp. 119-147, 2004.
[39] Harvard University News, “Remarks of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao: Turning your eyes to China,” Harvard University, December 10, 2003, http://www.harvard.edu.
[40] R. E. Feinbeg, “The political economy of United States’ free trade agreements, World Economy, 26, 7, p. 22, 2003.
[41] A. Chatzky and J. McBride, “China’s massive belt and road initiative,” Council on Foreign Relations, January 28, 2020.
[42] The Wall Street Journal, “China Aims to Outpace U.S. Militarily, American Commander Says,” The Wall Street Journal, December 9, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-aims-to-outpace-u-s-militarily-american-commander-says-11607459776
[43] A. Xu, “China joins race to mine moon for resources,” December 2, 2020, VOA news, http://www.voanew.com/science-health/china-joins-race-mine-moon-resources
[44] Headline Daily, “China technological advancement incite fears of China,” December 11, 2020, http://www.stheadline.com.
[45] Iasbaba, “HL-2M Tokamak: The artificial sun of China,” Iasbaba, December 6, 2020, https://iashaba.com/2020/12/hl-2m-tokamak-the-artifical-sun-of-china/
[46] R. Letzter, “China claims fastest quantum computer in the world,” Lives Science, December 11, 2020, https://www.livescience.com/china-quantum-supermacy.html
[47] Tencent web, “The Chinese Academy of Sciences has major breakthroughs, Chinese speed is leading the world, the US can’t stop its development,” Tencent web, 2020, http://new.qq.com/omn/20200730/20200730A04NSO00.html.
[48] Headline Daily, “US elites anti-China and the struggle will not stopped,” November 20, 2020, http://www.stheadline.com