Chapter 2: Sino-U.S. Relations during the U.S. Presidential Election Year
This essay was translated by LIU Zhiliang and proofread by LI Jingquan and WU Chengyi.
The year 2016, a presidential election year in the United States, saw another round of heated discussions about China-related issues, which became a major topic in American domestic politics. Therefore, it was inevitable that Sino-U.S. relations were stamped with the characteristics of a presidential election year. On the one hand, some negative factors in America’s relations with China gradually permeated its China policy and the implementation thereof, and the U.S. presidential election increased uncertainties in Sino-U.S. relations. On the other hand, at the same time, both Beijing and Washington focused on strategic communication and management and control of security differences, prevented conflicts and serious adverse events, and maintained the overall stability of Sino-U.S. relations. But the negative factors in bilateral relations were obviously growing, which may erupt along with Donald Trump’s coming to power.
