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Friends. Enemies. Acquaintances. Strangers. They all describe various types of relationships between two or more people. What is the relationship between the United States and China? Is it symbiotic, predatory or competitive? In light of past and current events, I infer that the relationship will be both symbiotic and competitive.
In the past, the United States and China have maintained a superficially cordial but internally resentful relationship. The United States resented China’s resistance to foreign policy and its unwillingness to open its doors to trade and international relations. While the United States sought to make friends with all nations in order to increase its political and economic prowess using alliances and the sharing of resources, China sought to make acquaintances and ultimately to be self-sufficient in both the political and economic realms. The stark difference set a competitive undertone for the relationship. How will this affect their current relationship?
Although the competitive undertone of the relationship extends into the present day, it is important to note that recent events placing the two nations on practically the same economic level hold more weight than historical events. Recent events help determine the future more accurately as history is being made every second. For example, China exports the largest number and amounts of goods into the United States. Without United States as its trusty customer, China’s economy would be significantly less strong than it is. Conversely, the United States continues to borrow money from China and team up with China in various areas including philanthropy, infrastructural development, and education. As of 2016 according to a study by the major Japanese news outlet Japan Times, approximately 70 percent of Chinese schoolchildren are being educated in the United States. Education includes primary school, secondary school, and the highest prevalence being college. This statistic is predicted to only increase as many Chinese parents are obtaining the funds to send their children abroad. A decade ago, sending a child overseas to the United States solely for education was unheard of. Now, it’s as common as day and night.
Lastly, China desperately wants the United States on their team because the United States has relations already established with many other nations. By the transitive property, China wants to be on fair terms with as many other nations as possible through maintaining cordiality with the United States. By the recent developments and current situations regarding the two nations’ economic, political, educational, and international relationships, I foresee that the United States and China will continue to grow symbiotically. Although both countries have their separate respective agendas, both are using and competing against one another to prosper in various ways.
Works Cited
"China's Rich Eager to Give Children Education in U.S. | The Japan Times." Japan Times RSS. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
"China and America: We Are Not Enemies - The Globalist." The Globalist. 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2016.
