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Sino-American Relations (1950-1979)

By lim_weili

  • Establishment of Communist China (PRC)

    But Mao decided not to recover Hong Kong and Macao

  • Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship

  • Start of Korean War

    1950 to 1953 - US decision to defend Taiwan against PRC

  • US threatened PRC with nuclear attack

    President Eisenhower; to push for an armistice to end the Korean War

  • US-Taiwan Defence Treaty

    Prevented PRC's invasion of Taiwan

  • 1st Taiwan Strait Crisis

    Fears of renewed Sino-US war

  • Anti-Rightist Movement in PRC

    Mao's fear of US ideological subversion in PRC

  • 2nd Taiwan Strait Crisis

    More of Chinese attempt to test Soviet commitment to 1950 alliance treaty

  • Sino-Soviet Split Became Public

  • US stopped Chiang Kai-shek from attacking PRC

    President Kennedy; Mao's catastrophic failure in his Great Leap Forward campaign

  • Gulf of Tonkin Incident

    Start of direct US involvement in Vietnam War

  • China successfully tested its atomic bomb

  • Start of Cultural Revolution in PRC

  • Tet Offensive in Vietnam War

    Public mood turned against US involvement in Vietnam War

  • Nixon Became US President

    Keen to take advantage of Sino-Soviet split and improve relations with PRC

  • Sino-Soviet Border War

  • Nixon Doctrine

    Large scale withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam

  • Mao ready to welcome Nixon to China

    Mao's conversation with visiting US journalist Edgar Snow

  • Kissinger's secret visit to PRC

    US National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger

  • PRC admitted to United Nations

    Taiwan ousted from UN

  • Nixon's visit to China

    Shanghai Communique

  • Paris Peace Accords

    End of US military involvement in Vietnam War

  • Resignation of Nixon

    Due to Watergate scandal; replaced by President Ford

  • Fall of South Vietnam to Communism

    End of Vietnam War

  • Death of Mao Zedong

    Rise of Deng Xiaoping to power

  • Brzezinski's visit to China

    Open US tilt towards China; US National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski

  • Sino-US Communique

    Ended US relations with Taiwan; terminated defence treaty

  • US formally recognised PRC

    Deng's official visit to USA - unofficial Sino-US alliance against USSR

  • Taiwan Relations Act (TRA)

    Continuing US ties with Taiwan

  • Sino-US Trade Agreement