CRS Issue Statement on China and Taiwan

Thomas Lum, Coordinator
Specialist in Asian Affairs

The U.S.-China bilateral relationship is one of the world's most important, touching on a wide range of issues, including global security threats, trade and economics, the environment and climate change, energy, and human rights. The emergence of the People's Republic of China (PRC) as a global economic power has added considerably to the complexity of U.S. policy toward China. The United States and the PRC are becoming increasingly interdependent, which means that the two countries must cooperate in many areas even when they disagree in others. 

Ongoing U.S. interests regarding its relationship with China include promoting bilateral trade, economic liberalization, and human rights in China as well as helping to defend Taiwan. Increasingly, the United States has sought cooperation with the PRC, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, on global and regional issues, such as sanctions against North Korea and Iran, the international financial crisis, and climate change, often with mixed results. The two countries also have engaged in limited cooperation on counterterrorism efforts. The Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), established in 2009, is a flexible diplomatic mechanism that brings together senior officials from the United States and China on an annual basis to maintain dialogue and build trust on an array of issues.


Date of Report: January 15, 2010
Number of Pages: 3
Order Number: IS40306
Price: $7.95

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