1.

Introduction
The normalization of the relationship between China and the US in 1979 was mutual
beneficial by gaining economic and political benefit for both countries. Financially, the Chinese
economy had thrived up and taken an intense growth for ten and more years. The US also used
the inflow of cheap goods and large Chinese market to overcome the economic scar produced
by the lost Vietnam war. Politically, its the first official diplomacy among the east and the west.
The US “plays the China card” to defend the disadvantage in the cold war. The normalization
with China for the US are considered that the US had eliminated a strong potential opponent
and largely weaken the power of the Soviet Union(SU). For China, the US produced strong
support for China to get westernized and helped China to defend the pressure from the SU.
Therefore, the normalization of China and the US is a mutually beneficial action.

2.Background and Condition

After World War II, countries in the world had separated into two distinct alliance,
Warsaw Treaty Organization(WTO) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO), which WTO
is guided by the Soviet Union and believed in Communism whereas NATO is guided by the
United States and believed in Capitalism. A Cold War broke between these two alliance at the
beginning of the 1950s and the international relationship between countries in the different
organization is abnormal.
Before 1971, due to the Cold War, PRC and the US have no official communication. In
1949, PRC, People Republic of China, a Communism country, defeated ROC, the Republic of
China a Capitalism country, in the civil war and ROC government fled to Taiwan. In 1950, the
Korean War breaks out and PRC is allied with North Korean. Therefore, the US identified PRC
as “aggressive, expansionist power that threatened the security of its noncommunist
neighbors”​1​. The US shows a great contradiction towards China and treated PRC as a potential
enemy. The action of the US are also radical: “The US constructed an off-shore line of military
alliances along China's eastern and southern borders and encouraged its allies to refrain
entering into diplomatic relations with Beijing and prohibited Americans from visiting China.”​2
The actions of the US is giving a totally aggressive signal to the Chinese government, which
blocked any potential communication and partnership in neither economic nor diplomatic. On
the other side, China was busy treating its civil problem and rebuilding its domestic production.
The government took part in the Korean War and fail in the radical industrialized policy.
However, during the 1970s, the NATO was at a disadvantage in the Cold War. NATO
just lost the Vietnam war and economy in the US was also facing problems. The US was
eagerly seeking for a turning point to stop this depression for either politically and financially. On
the other hand, China was is really poor. Due to the failure of the radical industrialized policy,
The economy in China was really weak. The Gross Domestic Production(GDP, the main factor
of determining the economic status for a country) per capita of China was only 112$ in
1970.​3​Also, China has an international diplomatic failure with the Soviet Union. Moscow
withdraws all its support to China and identifies Beijing as an enemy. The Soviet Union
eventually became the biggest threat to China. China eagerly wanted to find a new supporter to
defend the pressure from the SU. Under this special condition, the Normalization of the
relationship between PRC, People Republic of China, and the US took place in 1979.
Starting in 1971, the secretary of States, Henry Kissinger​4​, had started to visit China and
cooperate with the prime minister of China, Zhou Enlai. In February of 1972, The US president,
Richard Nixon, visit China for a week, breaking the thick ice between China and the US, also
breaking the large boundary between capitalism and communism. The highlight of his trip is he
has a long summit with the China Chair Mao Zedong and the Prime minister Zhou Enlai. Nixon
pointed out in his summit with Zhou that either the US government and its citizen were looking
forward to having a new relationship with China, although they know the difference between the
two countries are big and needed a long time resolve this issue.​5​ This summit is very crucial
because it set the tone for both countries are friendly and wanted to normalize their relationship.
Nixon also signed Shanghai Communique, wishing the two countries could take one more step
closer in the near future.

3. The article and its significance

However, due to the Watergate and the death of Mao Zedong, the resolution of the
normalization between PRC and the United States came late. In 1978, US president Carter and
Deng Xiaoping made several summits and finally came to a conclusion of this issue. The article
about the diplomatic relationship has been published in 1979 January 1st. It includes the
following principles:
1. “The US recognizes PRC as the only legal Government of China. The relationship with
Taiwan will maintain unofficially.”​6​ prior to this article, the US identifies ROC, which is
Taiwan, as the sole legal government of China.​7​ They provide military and financial
support to Taiwan. The switch of diplomatic recognition officially introduces PRC to the
western world for the first time. This is also the first diplomacy with a Socialist country. It
cleared the obstacles on the path of cooperation and communication between China and
the western world.
2. “Reduce the international military and both avoid hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region”​8
Prior this article, the US establish an off-shore line of military alliances along China's
eastern and southern border. It strongly threatens the safety of China and shows their
hostile attitude toward China. This article is an agreement that both sides have no
intention in taking over the Asia-Pacific region. It is presenting a friendly signal to the
world and decreases the military burden for both sides.
3. “Both governments should not interfere in the internal affairs of each other”​9​ This article
represents respect, indicating that the two countries are on the same level of power.
4. “The US and the PRC will exchange Ambassadors and establish Embassies on March 1,
1979.”​10​This article is very essential in establishing diplomacy. It allowed citizens from
both countries to be able to travel and communicate to the other country. Transnational
companies and investments are also available. It could also provide protection and help
to the citizens when they are abroad
This article represents the full diplomatic relationship between China and the US has
established and the Sino-US relationship Normalized.

4. The benefits that are gained by China

The most significant improvement in China is its economic status. After the
Normalization, the Chairman of China, Deng Xiaoping come out a series of policies known as
the “opening-up policies”. It launched China to the Reagan Era and the economy grow rapidly in
the following 10 years. It opens up the Chinese market to the western Countries and allows the
citizens to own their personal industry, including the most important industry, farming. During
1970s, Mrs. Ning was a typical farmer in Shaanxi Province. She recalled that she had to work in
a production team which did farm work on duty for the country. The salary is paid according to
the farm work hours and it’s not enough to afford her three children to go to school. The whole
family is poor and lived on a large amount of dept. However, in the 1980s, due to the opening
up policies, the government allows citizens to own their farmland. Each family only had to pay
an agricultural tax to own the land. The situation is much better than the production team era.
Small factories are also allowed to open. It provided a lot of job opportunities. Mrs. Ning got a
part-time job in a cloth factory and eventually be able to repay all the dept and afford my father
to go to college.​8​ From Mrs. Ning’s story, we could know the financial situation for a lower class
family had changed drastically for the 1970s and 1980s. Ning’s story is very common On the
other hand, the data series also proof that China is taking economic advantage of the
Normalization. GDP, Gross Domestic production is one of the most important factors when
evaluating the economic status of a country. During 1979-1989 this Reagan Era, GDP for China
each year have a 5% or more growth. In the year 1984, it even achieved a 15% growth. The
GDP growth rate for a typical developed European country, like the UK, is only 2.1% on
average.​9​ Also, the GDP for China in 1979 is $180,000M and it achieved $461,066M in 1989. Its
ability for production has nearly increased 3 times in only 10 years. This is an astonishing
achievement. Also, the average growth rate has increased during this time period, which
indicated that the growth will not end and will continue to have the enormous growth rate for the
following years.​10​ Therefore, the Normalization provides a huge economic benefit to China.*
China also gains political benefit from the Normalization. First, it unified China and solve
the Taiwan issue. In the article 1, the US recognized PRC as the sole government for China
Although the US is still able to provide support and remain communication with the Taiwan
government, China could justify its legitimacy in the world by this recognition. So this
announcement would terminate the fantasy of the Taiwan government of becoming an
independent country. Taiwan is very important for China because of its Geographic location. It’s
the closest island for mainland China. When defending the enemy comes from the Pacific
ocean, Taiwan island would be a piece of shield for the mainland. There are also large ports on
Taiwan that could be a trade center for China and provide wealth for China. Second, it opens
China up so that the advanced idea and technology from the western country can flow into
China. This provides a great chance for China to modernization and catches up with the world.
11​
Before the normalization, scholars, and students are forced to do farm work due to the cultural
revolution. Therefore the gap of knowledge between China and western country is large in any
field. The intensive communication between the two countries including students exchanging,
sending advisers and providing modern technology. Third, China had a huge population so that
labor is very cheap. It attracts lots of wealthy capitalists to investigate factories and large
workshop in China. China eventually gained the nickname “World Factories” at the end of the
20th Century. It improved the strength of China and achieved a huge group of successful
businessman. In the last, it ensures the security of the surrounding waters of China and
prevents any kind of war took place. Before 1979, the United States formed the Southeast Asian
Treaty Organization and maintain military bases in the member of this organization to restrict
China.​12​ However, after the normalization, the US withdraw the military forces in the Sino-Pacific
areas so that China could dominate in the surrounding sea. The rich seas around China is a
great source for marine resources and off-shore crude oil site.
Therefore, China gained both economic benefit and political benefit from this
Normalization.

5. The benefits that are gained by the US

The benefits gained by the US has also contained both sides, political and financial
benefit. During the 1970s, The United States is in the disadvantage to the Communist nations
due to the loss of in the Vietnam war and the Watergate affair. The United States eagerly
wanted to seek a chance to turn this depression. China also had the tendency. Therefore the
two countries chime in easily. According to the interview with Dr. Hill, a history teacher in
Hamden Hall, China is identified as a Socialism Nation. Around that time, due to the cold war,
any types of communism were seen as bad and evil. Therefore this news of normalization is first
thought shocking and then seen as a huge breakthrough.​13​ People in the US Although part the
Congress and the citizens are not quite agreeing in this act, the citizens remained radical
because the US successfully put a steady wedge in East Asia, right between Vietnam and the
Soviet Union, where is known as the base on the WTO and the communist nation. The impact is
astonishing. Having support from the United States, China has equal power with the Soviet
Union. The Soviet Union identified China as the prime target, which gives the US a period of
time to rest and recover its economy​14​. The normalization had successfully neutralized the
political impact given by the lost of the Vietnam War.
The Normalization between the US and China also provide some economic benefits to
the US citizens. Dr. Hill said: “ I do remember is that the market economy changed, so that there
was more production, and what I do remember seeing lots of products being made in China.”
she also recalled that the goods are cheaper.​15​ Although it’s not good news for some
companies, It benefits the daily life of American a lot by decreasing their everyday expenses.
Also, Because of the cheap labor, high-quality environment and low priced raw material, China
attracted many rich entrepreneurs to investigate and opened up big international factories.
These economic benefits neutralized the heavy economic burden produced by the loss of the
Vietnam War. The data series also proof the effect in normalization. The US GDP growth rate
from 1970 to 1990 is having a good shape, which remained in the positive value for all years. It
has an average of 7.5% from 1970 to 1990 and in the year 1978, 1981 and 1984, the growth
rate breakthrough the 10% threshold. Although the average of the growth rate is slowly
decreasing, meaning that the market growth is slowing down, the growth rate is still greater than
most of the European developed countries, which have only 1~2% of growth per year.
Therefore, the US also gained both a political benefit and economic

6. Conclusion
In 2018, A trade war broke out between China and the US and the Sino-US relationship
down to ice point. Both countries raise their tariff to each other and their allies. Much Sino-US
cooperation project is shutting down. Millions and Millions of dollars are lost in this war and lots
of families are impacted financially.​16​ However, the Sino-US relationship used to have an golden
age after they normalized their relationship. In China, GaoKao just recovered and massive
opportunities are given to the young generation. Under the rapid economic growth background,
families and families got rich and eventually build up the bedrock of modern China society.
Every family in China got influenced by the normalization and it’s not an exaggeration.
International communication between both countries gives the US a chance to reexamine China
and Chinese culture. It’s mutually beneficial and it opened a new era for both of the countries.
Endnotes
1. Andrew J. Nathan, "U.S.-China Relations Since 1949," in Asia for Educators, [Page #], accessed
December 18, 2018, ​http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/china_1950_us_china.htm​.

2. Nathan, "U.S.-China Relations

3. "China GDP - Gross Domestic Product," table, ​https://countryeconomy.com/gdp/china​.

4. My Talk With Chou Enlai, Misc. Doc. No. ED12958 (). Accessed January 8, 2019.
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB66/ch-40.pdf​.

5. Ebit

6. Department of State, "JOINT COMMUNIQUE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC

RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC
OF CHINA," in The US Department of States library, [Page #], last modified January 1, 1979,
accessed January 8, 2019,
https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ait-taiwan/171414/ait-pages/prc_e.pdf​.

7. Taiwan–United States relations," Wikipedia, last modified December 22, 2018, accessed January
8, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan%E2%80%93United_States_relations.

8. Department of State, "JOINT COMMUNIQUE,"

9. Ebit

10. Ebit

11. Interview by Qingyang Liu, North Haven, CT, December 1, 2018.

12. "Gross Domestic Product Preliminary Estimate," table, 2016,

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105161529/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publicati
ons/index.html.

13. China GDP - Gross Domestic Product," table, ​https://countryeconomy.com/gdp/china​.

14. Jianfei Liu, "中美建交给中国与世界带来深远影响" [The effect of Sino-US normalization on China

and on the World], QSTHEORY.CN, last modified December 17, 2018, accessed December 19,
2018, http://www.qstheory.cn/llwx/2018-12/17/c_1123861470.htm.

15. Nathan, "U.S.-China Relations,"

16. Interview by the author, Hamden, CT, December 10, 2018.

17. Nathan, "U.S.-China Relations

18. Interview by the author

19. https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-relations-china
Appendix 1: graph of China GDP

Appendix 2: graph of the US GDP

Appendix 3: the photo of the summit of Nixon and Zhou
 Annotated Bibliography

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/china-policy.
This article is summarising the how both presidents make an agreement on the normalization and
the aftermath about it

Burr, ed., ​The Kissinger Transcripts: The Top Secret Talks with Beijing and Moscow​ , A
National Security Archive Document Reader, (New York, The New Press, 1999), 59-65.
The picture of Nixon and Zhou Enlai's talk

"China GDP - Gross Domestic Product." Table. https://countryeconomy.com/gdp/china.

This table provide data for the GDP growth rate for China.

Department of State. "JOINT COMMUNIQUE on THE ESTABLISHMENT of DIPLOMATIC

RELATIONS between THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA AND THE PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC of CHINA." In ​The US department of States library.​ Last modified January
1, 1979. Accessed January 8, 2019.
https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ait-taiwan/171414/ait-pages/prc_e.pdf.
The well known article for the normalization

"Gross Domestic Product Preliminary Estimate." Table. 2016.

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105161529/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/
publications/index.html.
the comparison source when illustrating China and US GDP growth

Haass, Richard N. "U.S. Relations With China." Concil on Foreign Relations. Accessed January
8, 2019. https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-relations-china.
A timeline that could give the basic information of the relationship. Provide resources in modern
relationship. A very relatiable source

History.com Editors. "United States Announces That It Will Recognize Communist China."
History. Last modified November 13, 2009. Accessed December 6, 2018. http://United
States announces that it will recognize communist China.
a short overview of the normalization act

Interview by Qingyang Liu. North Haven, CT. December 1, 2018.

This interview is about My grandma talking about her own life experience in the 1970s and
1980s and how the Chinese US Normalization affects the social and financial status
of Liu’s family. The action of the normalization itself didn’t affect Liu’s family
directly, but the underlying policy changes and the economic golden age has played
a huge part in our family. She also talks about her part-time jobs after the
normalization. However, my grandma was a poor farmer during the normalization,
so she didn’t recieve a direct influence from it. Also, survival problems are the only
issue she cares about at that time, so she doesn’t have many thoughts in
international events and policy. o
Interview by the author. Hamden, CT. December 10, 2018.

Liu, Jianfei. "中美建交给中国与世界带来深远影响" [The effect of Sino-US normalization on

China and on the World]. QSTHEORY.CN. Last modified December 17, 2018. Accessed
December 19, 2018. http://www.qstheory.cn/llwx/2018-12/17/c_1123861470.htm.
A Chinese articles talk about the effect of the normalization to China and the world
very helpful, provide the political part of the effect
The reliability could confirm by it's a cooperator website with the PRC government

My Talk With Chou Enlai, Misc. Doc. No. ED12958 (). Accessed January 8, 2019.
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB66/ch-40.pdf.
The transcript of the talk between Chou Enlai and Herry Kissinger

Nathan, Andrew J. "U.S.-China Relations since 1949." In ​Asia for Educators.​ Accessed
December 18, 2018. http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/china_1950_us_china.htm.
This source includes three major phases between PRC and the US relationship since 1949.
Reliable source

Pollack, Jonathan D. "The Implications of Sino-American Normalization." ​International Security

3, no. 4 (1979): 37-57. https://doi.org/10.2307/2626762.

"Taiwan–United States relations." Wikipidia. Last modified December 22, 2018. Accessed
January 8, 2019.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan%E2%80%93United_States_relations.
the policies and treatment of Taiwan for the US before and after the normalization with PRC

Tyler, Patrick. "The (Ab)normalization of U.S.-Chinese Relations." ​Foreign Affairs.​ Accessed

December 6, 2018.
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/asia/1999-09-01/abnormalization-us-chinese-relat
ions.
This article is about a detail process of how the joint summit take place
A good source for taking the emotion from the leader of both side
the reliability is a question

"United States (USA) GDP - Gross Domestic Product." Table.

https://countryeconomy.com/gdp/usa.
This table provides the data of the GDP growth rate of US