The Competition and Cooperation between Big Powers-U.S.-China relations in the George W. Bush Administration

• Main Authors: Chen, Hung-chen, 陳鴻鈞
• Other Authors: Lin, Cheng-Yi
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/9avd47

博士 === 東吳大學 === 政治學系 === 101 === This dissertation explored the competition and cooperation between China and the United States in the George W. Bush Administration, and discussed the impact of China’s rise. During the presidential campaign, President Bush identified China as a strategic competitor. After the EP-3 and 911 events, the Bush Administration gradually adjusted its China policy to a candid, constructive, and cooperative relationship. In the anti-terror campaign, China and the U.S. cooperated bilaterally and multilaterally in dealing with the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, but disagreed with each other on war in Afghanistan and Iraq. On North Korea, Washington supported U.S.-Japan missile defense and Proliferation Security Initiative, but Beijing had reservations. However, they cooperated in Six-Party Talks to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapon. The Bush Administration supported Taiwan’s democracy and U.S.-Taiwan military cooperation, but China objected to these two policies. Nevertheless, they dissuaded Taiwan from holding referendums in 2004 and 2008. Although they had different perspectives of the Doha Round, trade deficit, Renminbi and intelligent property rights, they initiated U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue to narrow their differences. In addition, they disputed with each other over military, diplomacy, human rights, and the Tibet issues. In short, the relationship between China and the United States was a combination of competition and cooperation in many dimensions. In the United States, there are various opinions on peaceful rise theory which Beijing has advocated. Washington has urged Beijing to be a responsible stakeholder, and to adopt a cooperative foreign policy. In power transition theory, the relationship between the hegemony and rising country is not fated to go to war. It depends on the policy they adopt and the interaction they are having with each other. It is possible that their relations are cooperative and peaceful, like U.S.-Britain relationship in the beginning of the twentieth century. In the twenty-first century, when the shift of global power configuration is in forming, the relationship between the U.S. and China is worthy of further studies. The interactions between China and the U.S. in the Bush administration indicated that they both adopted cooperative policy even under competition, implying the validity of power transition theory.