Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
United States
Relationship assessment
An interconnected relationship marked by sustained strategic competition and selective cooperation.
People's Republic of China toward United States
-50China has pursued extensive economic engagement with the United States and joined it in a bilateral climate announcement in 2014. At the same time, China has opposed US tariffs and export controls and has sharply criticized US support for Taiwan and its regional security posture.
United States toward People's Republic of China
-55The United States has maintained substantial economic engagement with China and negotiated bilateral climate cooperation in 2014. It has also imposed tariffs and technology export controls, and continued arms sales to Taiwan and security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific despite Chinese objections.
Overall relationship
-50The enduring relationship combines deep economic interdependence and selective cooperation, including climate diplomacy, with strategic rivalry over technology, trade, Taiwan, and regional security. These competing features make the relationship persistently adversarial despite recurring cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
China–United States relations combine extensive economic ties and episodes of practical cooperation with sustained strategic competition. The governments reached a bilateral climate agreement in 2014 and have cooperated in multilateral settings, while disputes over tariffs, technology restrictions, Taiwan, and security in the Indo-Pacific have intensified. The relationship is consequential and interconnected, but competition and recurring tensions are prominent.
Areas of tension
- US tariffs on Chinese goods and Chinese retaliatory measures.
- US export controls and restrictions on Chinese technology firms.
- Taiwan, including US arms sales and security support opposed by China.
- Military activity and security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.
- Disputes over market access, subsidies, and trade practices.
Key developments
The United States and China announced a bilateral climate agreement alongside their emissions targets.
The United States began imposing additional tariffs on Chinese imports, prompting Chinese retaliatory tariffs.
China joined the World Trade Organization, deepening its integration into the multilateral trading system and its economic ties with the United States.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral crisis-management and military communication arrangements are unclear.
- The durability of past climate cooperation and other limited areas of practical coordination is uncertain.