UNITED STATES-CHINA RELATIONS: THE PROCESS 94-14- HEARINGS BEFORE THE SPECIAL SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS NINETY-FOURTH CONGRESS NOVEMBER 18, DECEMBER 8, 17, 1975, AND FEBRUARY 2, 1976 Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THOMAS E. MORGAN, Pennsylvania, Chairman CLEMENT J. ZABLOCKI, Wisconsin WAYNE L. HAYS, Ohio L. H. FOUNTAIN, North Carolina CHARLES WILSON, Texas DONALD W. RIEGLE, JR., Michigan CARDISS COLLINS, Illinois STEPHEN J. SOLARZ, New York HELEN S. MEYNER, New Jersey DON BONKER, Washington WILLIAM S. BROOMFIELD, Michigan EDWARD G. BIESTER, JR., Pennsylvania BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York ROBERT J. LAGOMARSINO, California Preface_ CONTENTS Page Eckstein, Dr. Alexander, professor of economics, the University of Harding, Dr. Harry, Jr., assistant professor, Department of Political Murray, Dr. Douglas P., director, United States-China relations pro- gram, Stanford University, vice chairman of the board, National Committee on United States-China Relations__. Phillips, Hon. Christopher H., president of the National Council for Searls, Melvin W., Jr., vice president, National Council for United Slichter, Dr. Charles, professor of physics, University of Illinois, member, Committee on Scholarly Communication With the People's Monday, February 2, 1976: Barnett, A. Doak, senior fellow the Brookings Institution____ 131 138 4. Attachments to paper submitted by Anne Keatley, Committee on Scholarly Communication with the People's Republic of China. 5. Annual Report of the National Committee on United States-China PREFACE After the promulgation of the Shanghai Communique in 1972 following former President Nixon's first visit to the People's Republic of China, Chinese-American relations slowly improved. Scientific and technological exchanges, political contacts, and bilateral trade increased and in 1973 we established liaison offices, quasi-embassies, in our respective capitals. In the last 2 years, however, American-Chinese relations have been in a holding pattern, and the prospects for any developments in the next several months appear minimal as the United States moves toward the 1976 Presidential elections. The Special Subcommittee on Investigations held this series of hearings between November 1975 and February 1976 in order to review United States-Chinese relations and to assess the prospects for normalizing relations in the next few years. These hearings were held at a significant time, both for United States-China relations and for internal developments in China. President Ford's visit to China, which broke no new ground, and Chou En-lai's death were two benchmarks for our inquiry. Since our last hearing, there have been further and dramatic changes within the Chinese leadership and former Deputy Teng Hsiao-p'ing has come under political and personal attack by several groups and has fallen from the leadership. China's leaders are clearly debating the character of its Government for the post-Mao Tse-tung period. To add an additional perspective to this inquiry, we asked several of the public witnesses to submit a postscript on the evolving leadership struggle in China and the unexpected second Nixon visit to China. These statements appear in appendix 3 on page 185. Several conclusions of these hearings should be mentioned: First, it is in the U.S. national interest to try to work toward a normalization of relations with China in the next few years. Second, the process of normalization of relations with China will necessarily involve a downgrading of our relationship with the Republic of China on Taiwan although it is not clear what that deescalation should encompass. Some observers feel that one viable option for the United States would be to adopt the Japanese solution, which involved the breaking of diplomatic ties with Taiwan but the continuation of close and important commercial and economic ties. Third, the importance of Taiwan as a core problem preventing a normalization of relations should not be underestimated. United States-Chinese relations could deteriorate rapidly if the Taiwan issue is not dealt with. Solving the Taiwan issue remains the key to normalization of relations and to solutions to other outstanding problems, such as the claims-assets question. ✓ |