U.S.-China Relations(1)-Prior to 1949

Sino-American relations, as one of the most complicated relations in current world, have evolved dramatically for almost two hundred years since 19^th century. With constantly changing international environment and respective unpredictable domestic fluctuations, Sino-US relations varied tremendously. Since the mid of 19^th century, China had been left behind the first and second industrial revolutions and thus had far weaker economic and military capabilities than the United States. Consequently, in a rather long time, the China’s weaker negotiation power with the United States in many critical areas often facilitated the U.S. to play an upper hand on the Sino-American relations. The dramatic changes in domestic China last century and the resulting international impacts forced the relatively stable United States to alter its foreign policies and diplomatic relations towards China accordingly.

Prior to 1949 when People's Republic of China was Founded     

China went through many historical events and transitions before 1949. In the period before World War II, western countries, including America, imposed military forces to open Chinese market to meet their tremendous demands of capitals and market. During the Japanese invasion in World War II, America helped China to defeat the Japanese. And then America tremendously involved in China's Civil War-backing Kuomingtang (KMT) against the China's Communist Party (CCP).

Paternalism

Prior to 1949, the United States tried to assume the role of a father, implicitly, and sometimes explicitly, casting China as a child. In seeking to change China through the application of social and political structures abroad, Americans tried to reassure themselves of their uniqueness and special place in history. To see China with the eye of paternalism was to see the United States as the developmentally more advanced nation, offering its knowledge and experience to a grateful recipient. Although not unfamiliar in United States, in its national attitudes toward other Asian nations, Jespersen mentioned in “American Images of China” that “this thinking toward China has been unique in this longevity and pervasiveness”.

Chiang Kai-shek(China's former President), Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Soong Mei-ling(China's former first lady) at the Cairo Conference

Growing out of the varied circumstances, exigencies, and necessities, a paternalistic outlook brought a missionary-conversion ethos together with a secular sense of national benevolence. Americans came to profess faith in a China developing along the path blazed by their notion. The U.S. attempted to remold China in their image strategically, scientifically, economically, and religiously by group lobbying for increased presence of traders, missionaries, doctors, diplomats, politicians, educators, and soldiers. Unlike the very beginning of the 21^st century when most Chinese viewed all western countries as opposing powers to maintain China’s territorial, political, and cultural integrity,  the Chinese people under the guidance of their nominal leader, Chiang Kai-shek appeared willing and eager to adopt Protestant religion and democratic political ideology. Consequently, after 1931,Chiang’s popularly accepted image in the United States became one of a valiant, heroic Christian ready to lead his people into an American-style future. An economic angle to the relationship premised on enormously profitable trading connection, one guaranteed by China’s massive population.        


First Lady Madam Chiang Kaishek 1943 Speech to U.S. Congress


The most obvious presence of America’s paternalism towards China was America’s supporting the KMT during World War II and China’s Civil War. As the “father” who cultivated China following American steps, the United States offered KMT the material, training, financial, and political supports to guarantee the nominal ruling party which favored American values and ideology at that time could survive Japanese invasion and the risk of being overturning by the CCP in order to protect America’s interest. The United States feared the victory of the CCP could completely change the developing path in China and offset all America’s previous endeavors. U.S. actions and policy choices reinforced existing American proclivities to back Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists, who continued to enjoy broad political support in the United States.

We can easily identify that the Sino-American relations at this period of time was dominated by the United States following the pattern of paternalism. This is a top-bottom pattern which is largely decided by the power of the United States and China respectively at that time.