US-China Relations Updates

Newly declassified documents contain important lessons for U.S.-China policy. The article “What the Bush-Obama Memo on China Reveal” published on April 29 by Foreign Policy magazine discusses how the United States has never entrusted its national security to westernization and democratization of China, nor has it ever stopped containing China. The article praises the policy choices from Bush to Obama, criticizes Trump’s populism, and advises Biden to “remember the original intention”. Recently, the United States has been reflecting on its relationship with China in the past few years, and this article is one of them.

During the 2017-2020 Trump administration, there were several notable actions taken regarding international organizations and agreements:

1. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement: In 2017, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change, which had been signed by 195 countries. The US officially withdrew from the agreement in November 2020.
2. Withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO): In 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from UNESCO, citing concerns over the organization’s alleged anti-Israel bias and financial mismanagement.
3. Withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council: In 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council, citing concerns over the organization’s alleged bias against Israel and failure to address human rights abuses in countries such as China, Venezuela, and Cuba.
4. Withdrawal from the World Health Organization(WHO): In 2020, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw the US from the WHO, citing concerns over the organization’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its alleged deference to China.
5. Withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): In 2017, President Trump withdrew the US from the TPP, a trade agreement between 12 Pacific Rim countries, citing concerns over the agreement’s impact on US jobs and sovereignty.
6. Not mention the “Trade War” with China…

These actions were controversial or foolish and received both criticism and support. Critics argued that the US was ceding its leadership role in the world and undermining its relationships with key allies, while supporters argued that these actions were necessary to protect US interests and sovereignty.