The US-China tech ‘war’ in perspective

A WISE man once said that countries have no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. This wisdom will help to explain the four historical phases of US-China relations.

From 1949 to 1972, the two countries were enemies. They had no diplomatic relations. Their armed forces clashed in Korea during the Korean War. This phase came to an abrupt end in 1972, when President Richard Nixon shocked the world by visiting China.

From 1972 to the end of the Cold War in 1989, China and the United States were de facto allies. What united them was a common enemy, the Soviet Union. This phase closed with the end of the Cold War and the disappearance of the common enemy.