Aegis 2010
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Soviet, Japanese, and American Relations with China, 1949-1972: China’s Quest for Power through Foreign Policy >>> Brianna Joslyn China’s foreign policy is one developed both in accordance with the ideologies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and as a consequence of its interactions with foreign entities. Probably the most significant entities during the early decades of the CCP’s rise to power in relation to China’s foreign interaction would be the Soviet Union, Japan, and the United States. When studying the trends of China’s foreign policy decisions and tones, one might consider the question of what was the key force behind the development of China’s foreign policy decisions during the early years of the regime of the CCP. This is a key question to consider when attempting to understand China as a powerful nation in the world today, as this time period is at the root of the current trend in Chinese foreign policies, as well as the CCP’s influencing perspectives. Sino-American, Sino-Soviet, and Sino-Japanese relations are at the heart of most Chinese foreign interactions, and to best understand China’s relationship with the influential powers of the time, one has to examine how China reacted to each of these entities. When observing China’s interactions with the Soviet Union, the United States, and Japan from 1949 to 1972, the root of their conflicts lies in the struggle to gain and maintain power on the world stage, while attempting to appear with as much sovereignty as possible. The origins of China’s altercations with the Soviet Union, which ultimately led to the split of Sino-Soviet cooperation in the 1940s, were a gradual process. Perhaps the root of this growing conflict came from the differentiated communist ideals which the two nations possessed. Marxism-Leninism was becoming increasingly too theoretical and without enough of a base in pragmatism for China. The Maoist school of communism was one which could seem more realistic and sensible for the Chinese people, who were at the time experiencing what was often described as a “backward” economic system. 1 China was striving to accomplish its goals for progress at a rate at which they could actually see specific forms of improvement. They viewed themselves as the most important country on the planet, and therefore had the goal of increasing their power as a nation, accompanied by increasing levels of nationalism. Naturally, while they still wanted to exude communist ideals, there was a fear that if they did not firmly establish themselves as an independently powerful nation, they would never be seen as a separate, authoritative nation from the Soviet Union, whose governmental and cultural system was flawed in the eyes of China.2 Mao did not want to be considered in the same category as the Soviet Union, unless it was on a list of the most powerful nations in the world. He often had differing opinions on what was the best route to
