Paper Topic:

China's growing economic power and the U.S.

China 's growing economic power and the U .S

Economic issues increasingly define the United States ' foreign policy toward China , one of America 's most important trading partners . While exerting diplomatic pressure to bring a resolution of China 's abusive policies on human rights and regional aggression , the Clinton administration has been careful to preserve trading ties . To do otherwise might jeopardize certain financial interests of American big business . While Clinton 's strategy makes economic sense , it does little to address issues of East Asian security , a pressing national interest of

the American people . The expansion of trade has always figured prominently in President Clinton 's foreign policy agenda . For instance Clinton 's economic program included the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA ) and a new trading agreement negotiated by the member nations of GATT (the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , now renamed the World Trade Organization

Early in his administration , Clinton exhibited a tough stance against China by threatening heavy punitive tariffs on imports as a way of pressuring Beijing to halt the black-market pirating of U .S . movies CDs , and computer software "China has followed the Third World line in taking full advantage of Western products without paying the companies that own them (Overholt 385 . Nevertheless , in 1994 , Clinton extended China 's "most favored nation " trading status with the United States . The trading status of "most favored nation " is an important designation . It affirms that a particular country is a member of the world economic and political system . Without such status , Chinese markets that serve the United States (most notably Hong Kong ) would have been dealt a serious economic blow . In addition , the United States would have found itself isolated by the international community , many of whom support China 's attempts at reform

In 1996 , the Clinton administration developed a China policy that it termed "comprehensive engagement " The three tenets of this policy are that China must be paid attention to , that China is not an enemy of the United States , and the acknowledgement that a variety of American interests are at stake in East Asia . The supporters of Clinton 's comprehensive engagement policy include "the business community free-market advocates , and prominent Republican former officials who argue that a confrontation now with China would be premature (Rodman 39 . Critics of Clinton 's comprehensive engagement strategy claimed that the policy was vague and weak , and predicted that China would take advantage of it . So far , this criticism has failed to materialize "China has realized that it will have to adapt to international rules not simply ignore them , and be careful how it throws its weight about "Greeting " 16 . An important development in U .S .-China relations was the recent state visit of Chinese President Jiang Zemin

China wants to modify its image as ruthless Communists and demonstrate its willingness to become an active member in the international community . As President Clinton puts it "Isolation of China is unworkable , counterproductive and potentially dangerous . That is not the world we...

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