Sino-American strategic relations: from partners to competitors

During the 1970s and 1980s, Beijing and Washington shared common strategic purposes. But these shared interests have narrowed in the 1990s. The Sino-American relationship now involves elements of limited cooperation and growing competition. While there is an important convergence of interests with respect to North Korea and the spread of nuclear weapons, the two governments increasingly diverge on a long list of strategic issues, including: Taiwan; Japan's regional security role; Iran and Iraq; the expansion of NATO; the strengthening of other US alliances; missile exports; theatre and national missile defences; and the US security role in the Asia-Pacific. This growing 'strategic competition' is likely to characterise Sino-American relations for most of the coming decade, irrespective of the new American administration that comes to office in 2001.