Chinese international affairs in 1960s and early 1970s 

Going into the new decade, China’s primarily maintained solidarity with the Soviet  Union and other members of the Soviet bloc, including fraternal states in Central and Eastern Europe. While Chinese leaders sought friendly relationships with these other countries, they saw  them mostly as a part of their relationship with the Soviet Union rather than as independent,  autonomous states. Since China’s connections with these territories depended on Sino-Soviet  relations, the relationship with these territories became weaker as the 1960s progressed. This left  China fairly alienated, as one of their main international partnerships became damaged. Mao’s  approach to foreign policy further exacerbated China’s isolation because he prioritized what  alliances could do for his country over contributing to the needs of their allies. Due to China’s  size and inward attention, other alliances with Vietnam, North Korea, and Albania also  deteriorated. 

Having lost many allies sharing communist views, China began to foster connections  with the United States. Prior to the Sino-Soviet split, US-China relations were fairly hostile. For  example, the U.S. and China fought on opposing sides of the Korean War in the early 1950s, and  during the Tibetan Uprising of 1959, a protest resulting in thousands dying during a crackdown  by Chinese forces, the U.S. joined the United Nations in condemning the China’s human rights  violations. Despite these political and moral disagreements, the Sino-Soviet split opened the door  for rapprochement between the two countries. On April 6, 1971, the People’s Republic of China  (PRC) invited members of the U.S. ping-pong team to play in China, and these athletes, along  with journalists, were the first Americans allowed into China since 1949. During these time,  American politicians also visited Chinese government officials. Most notably, in February 1972,  President Nixon met with Chairman Mao in China and signed the Shanghai Communiqué with  Zhou Enlai. 

China’s sudden opening to the United States lead to tensions with their North Korean  ally. North Korean leaders interpreted U.S. communication with China as a surrender in the  Korean conflict and wanted to take the opportunity to drive U.S. troops out of the Korean  peninsula. However, leaders in Beijing refused to support North Korea in re-inciting border  conflicts with South Korea. China’s acceptance of the division of the Korean peninsula created a  wedge in their relationship with North Korea. 

Throughout this time period, China also attempted to exert dominance and spread  communism in Third World countries, particularly African countries. In the early 1960s, over 10  African countries had established diplomatic relations with China, which increased to 44 by the  end of the 1970s. Chinese presence in Africa had two main purposes – preventing the recognition  of Taiwanese independence and competing with Western and Soviet influences over the  continent. Over these few decades, China assisted with infrastructure development in African  countries by providing funding and labor. This assistance garnered support from African  Countries, which eventually helped the PRC replace Taiwan’s Republic of China (ROC) as a UN  member in 1971. 

Best,

Clara Chen

Assistant Director

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