preview

Relationship Between China And The United States

Better Essays

Sino-American relations began with the founding of the United States in the late 18th century, during the Qing dynasty. The first representatives of the United States went to China in 1784 on a ship named the Empress of China, landing in Canton. Soon afterwards, in 1785 China, three Chinese sailors became stranded in Baltimore. Since these early contacts the relationship between the two nations has expanded as international and political changes came into being. Today, the relationship is multifaceted with China being the United States’ largest creditor and bilateral relations developing on a personal and governmental level.
The relationship between China and the United States was originally governed by The Canton System whereby China tried to control international trade by limiting transactions and foreigners to the port in Canton (modern day Guangzhou). Initially, this system seemed to be efficient was praised for the regularity and safety in which business was conducted (Carroll 52). The Canton System has been described as a giant machine with a multitude of independent parts that together encourage trade (Carroll 53). Thirteen merchants acted as intermediaries between foreign traders and the Qing government, and governed the day-to-day operations of the system. Indeed, an American trader named William Hunter praised the system and its administrators as honorable and generous, and despite contracts never being written down; purposeful infringements never took place

Get Access