Seventy Years of Sino-US Relations

Author: Gui Li
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: The relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States is a historical issue involving two fundamentally opposing ideologies and socio-political systems. This relationship occupied an extremely important position in the history of international relations in the 20th century, once dominating the mainstream of international relations development and affecting all countries in the world. In the context of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, from the perspective of the Chinese people and based on dialectical materialism and historical materialism, how to correctly handle the coexistence and cohabitation relationship with capitalist countries as a whole, while maintaining the fundamental system unchanged and properly addressing conflicts with capitalist countries, and neutralizing their offensive in all aspects, holds great practical and theoretical significance. The full text examines these two main threads of the U.S.-Soviet relationship from a historical perspective in a comprehensive and systematic manner. The book is divided into seven chapters.
Chapter 1 analyzes Lenin's foreign policy ideas during the early days of the Soviet Russia, pointing out that Lenin was a master of adhering to revolutionary principles while also employing flexible and compromising strategies. He never forgot the question of "who will win," but advocated a policy of "peaceful coexistence" in reality.
Chapter 2 analyzes the common interests and contradictions within the U.S.-Soviet alliance formed during World War II. It notes that the common enemy was the foundation of the alliance, while the consideration of their respective interests was the basic factor that undermined it. The ideological entanglement between the Soviet Union, the United States, and Britain, the expansionist behavior of the Soviet Union before and after the war, Britain's attempt to maintain its empire, and the United States' desire to dominate the world all combined to lead to the dissolution of the alliance, mutual hostility, and renewed struggles.
Chapter 3 reveals the revival of the principle of power politics and the principle of spheres of influence in post-WWII international relations. The Soviet Union sought to maintain the territories and spheres it had gained during the war, while the United States aimed to dominate the entire world. Under the guise of ideology, they practiced power politics, which was the cause and essence of the Cold War. In this regard, Truman and Stalin were evenly matched.
Chapter 4 analyzes the reasons for the slight easing of relations during the Khrushchev and Eisenhower eras. It points out that Khrushchev's policy of realistic reconciliation and his foreign policy of peaceful coexistence were the active factors leading to the initial easing of U.S.-Soviet relations, while the rigid and uncompromising policies of Eisenhower and Dulles were the negative factors that hindered further easing. Struggles and conflicts remained the theme of this period.
Chapter 5 notes that the greatly enhanced real power of the socialist Soviet Union and the United States' entanglement in the Vietnam War were the basic factors behind the easing of U.S.-Soviet relations in the 1960s and 1970s. While the competition between the two sides developed, the situation of the Soviet Union attacking and the United States defending could not be sustained for long. Brezhnev's obsession with pursuing the status of a superpower made him forget the fundamental tasks of socialism, missing out on the golden opportunities of the technological revolution and economic development. Expansionist policies by socialist countries were ultimately counterproductive and doomed to fail.
Chapter 6 explains how the Soviet Union, due to its failure to properly handle the relationship between its domestic and foreign policies, gradually fell into a passive and stagnant situation. Since its establishment, the Soviet Union had overly focused on industrial development under a planned economy, which had begun to show signs of decline. Gorbachev's overly conciliatory policies, while beneficial to the overall easing of the international situation, did not alleviate but rather accelerated the comprehensive squeeze and transformation of the "anti-Soviet revitalization" movement against the Soviet Union.
Chapter 7 exposes the U.S. government's true colors as a "revealing the dagger" and a "false friend," pointing out that Bush's "beyond containment" strategy was a significant factor in the disintegration of the Soviet and Eastern European bloc.