Updated October 18, 2023
China Primer: U.S.-China Relations
Introduction
U.S.-PRC engagement at the leader level re-started in
Congressional oversight and legislative activities related to
November 2022, when President Biden and PRC leader Xi
the People’s Republic of China (PRC, or China) have
met on the sidelines of a gathering of the G-20 nations in
expanded as Members’ concerns about PRC policies,
Bali, Indonesia. Biden said at the time that he felt a
actions, and intentions have intensified. Members of the
responsibility “to show that China and the United States can
118th Congress have so far introduced more than 400 bills
manage our differences, prevent competition from
and 70 resolutions with provisions related to China.
becoming anything ever near conflict, and to find ways to
Enacted laws include S. 619 (P.L. 118-2), the COVID
work together on urgent global issues.” The U.S. and PRC
Origin Act of 2023, requiring the declassification of all
governments are preparing for a potential second in-person
information related to potential links between the PRC’s
meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the
Wuhan Institute of Virology and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping’s
Other adopted measures include H.Res. 11, establishing a
leaders’ summit in San Francisco in mid-November 2023,
Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the
although Xi has yet to confirm his attendance.
United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
Strategic Competition
Senior PRC Personnel Issues
The Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Administration describes the
A challenge for high-level U.S.-China diplomacy is the currently
United States as engaged in competition with China over
depleted ranks of PRC government interlocutors.
the shape of the future global order, part of a broader
•
The PRC removed its second-most-senior diplomat, Qin
contest between democracies and autocracies. The
Gang, from his Foreign Minister post in July 2023, without
Administration’s October 2022 National Security Strategy
explanation. Qin remains State Councilor for foreign
describes China as “America’s most consequential
affairs, but has made no public appearances since June
geopolitical challenge,” and calls for the United States to
2023. Top diplomat Wang Yi, a Politburo member who
“out-compete” China by (1) investing in competitiveness,
heads the office of the CPC’s Central Commission for
innovation, resilience, and democracy at home; (2) aligning
Foreign Affairs, is now also serving as Foreign Minister.
U.S. efforts with those of allies and partners; and (3)
•
“c

PRC Defense Minister Li Shangfu has made no public
ompet[ing] responsibly with the PRC to defend our
appearances since August 2023. He serves concurrently as
interests and build our vision for the future.” The document
the PRC’s State Councilor for defense affairs.
states that the Administration also seeks to “engage
constructively with the PRC wherever we can.”
•
The PRC has yet to name a successor to its former Vice
Foreign Minister with responsibility for North America,
Senior PRC officials have publicly objected to the U.S.
Xie Feng, who left the position in May 2023 to serve as
framing of relations as driven by geopolitical competition.
China’s Ambassador to the United States.
Meeting in October 2023 with a bipartisan Senate
delegation—the first congressional delegation to visit the
Public reports of a PRC surveillance balloon flying over the
continental United States led Secretary of State Antony J.
PRC in over four years—the PRC’s top leader, Communist
Blinken to call off a planned February 2023 trip to China.
Party of China (CPC) General Secretary and PRC President
Xi Jinping, called for the United States and China to
He ultimately visited the PRC in June 2023. Two other
“
cabinet members followed him: Secretary of the Treasury
properly handle their relations, respect each other, coexist
Janet Yellen (July 2023) and Secretary of Commerce Gina
in peace and pursue win-win cooperation.” In downplaying
competitive dynamics in the relationship, the PRC may
Raimondo (August 2023). Other senior Administration
visitors to the PRC have included Central Intelligence
seek to sustain access to the U.S. market and to complicate
Agency Director William Burns (May 2023) and Special
U.S. efforts to build international coalitions to address
perceived challenges from the PRC. When PRC leaders
Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry (April and
September 2021 and July 2023). Outcomes from 2023’s
acknowledge frayed relations with other countries, they
U.S. high-level visits include new working groups and other
often portray China as a victim. In March 2023, Xi alleged
that since 2017, “Western countries led by the United States
dialogue mechanisms under the Secretaries of State,
Commerce, and the Treasury, and climate envoy Kerry.
have implemented all-around containment, encirclement
and suppression of China, which has brought unprecedented
severe challenges to our country’s development.”
Critics, including some Members of Congress, have
questioned the Biden Administration’s focus on re-starting
Bilateral Engagement
high-level dialogue. Some have suggested that the effort
The PRC government kept China’s borders mostly closed
may constrain the Administration from addressing U.S.
concerns about such matters as PRC surveillance operations
from March 2020 to January 2023 to enforce a “zero-
COVID”
directed at the United States and cyber hacking of U.S.
response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In-person
agency networks. Other Members have expressed support
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China Primer: U.S.-China Relations
for dialogue. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who
capabilities. See CRS In Focus IF11284, U.S.-China Trade
led the bipartisan Senate delegation to China in October
Relations, and CRS In Focus IF10964, “Made in China
2023, stated in Beijing that the delegation and its PRC
2025” Industrial Policies: Issues for Congress.
interlocutors were in agreement that “unless we have
sincere conversations about our differences, and not pull
Taiwan
any punches, that we would never solve these problems” in
The PRC leader Xi states that the PRC seeks to unify with
the bilateral relationship.
Taiwan peacefully, but “will never promise to renounce the
use of force” to compel Taiwan to accept absorption into
Select Issues in U.S.-China Relations
the PRC. The U.S. government maintains unofficial
relations with Taiwan and supports Taiwan’s self-defense
Trade, Investment, and Technology
pursuant to the Taiwan Relations Act (P.L. 96-8). See CRS
China is a large market for some U.S. firms but is
In Focus IF12481, Taiwan: Defense and Military Issues.
characterized by significant trade barriers, unfair trade
practices, and a lack of reciprocity, particularly in sectors in
Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids
which PRC firms are expanding overseas. Some Members
Direct flows of illicit fentanyl from the PRC to the United
of Congress have expressed concern about China’s state-
States reportedly ceased after the PRC imposed class-wide
driven economic, investment, trade, and technology
controls over all fentanyl-related substances in 2019. The
practices and the challenges they pose to U.S. economic
U.S. government is now focused on addressing flows of
and technology leadership. Beijing still requires technology
uncontrolled PRC-produced precursor chemicals used to
transfer as a condition to operate in strategic sectors in
make fentanyl in third countries, primarily Mexico, and
China. Experts assess China to be distorting the traditional
stemming illicit fentanyl-related financial flows linked to
use of certain economic tools and using economic coercion
the PRC. See CRS In Focus IF10890, China Primer: Illicit
and intellectual property theft to advance industrial policies.
Fentanyl and China’s Role.
In addressing PRC economic practices of concern, the 118th
Human Rights
Congress has focused on risks associated with PRC digital
The Biden Administration and many Members have
platforms, such as TikTok, and on oversight of executive
criticized the PRC’s human rights record, particularly its
branch decisions on foreign investment reviews and export
treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in the western
control licensing. Congress has promoted investment in
regions of Xinjiang and Tibet. The State Department
U.S. strategic technologies, such as semiconductors, and in
assesses PRC actions in Xinjiang constitute genocide and
emerging sectors, such as electric vehicles, to counter PRC
crimes against humanity. Secretary Blinken has accused the
industrial policies. Congress has also considered restrictions
PRC of a “crackdown on basic rights” in the PRC’s Hong
on China’s ability to buy U.S. farmland and guardrails on
Kong Special Administrative Region. See CRS In Focus
some U.S. commercial and research ties with China.
IF12265, China Primer: Human Rights.
In October 2022, the Commerce Department issued China-
Relations with Russia
specific controls on design software for advanced logic
PRC leader Xi has expressed China’s opposition to the
chips and semiconductor equipment, and on services by
threatened or actual use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but
U.S. persons to produce advanced logic and memory chips.
has otherwise expressed solidarity with Russian President
The Department also restricted exports to China of some
Vladimir Putin as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. In
chips with artificial intelligence (AI) and supercomputing
2022, China-Russia trade increased by 29% over 2021.
applications. In response, U.S. technology firms Nvidia,
China’s exports to Russia in the first 8 months of 2023 were
AMD, and Intel said they would make chips for China at a
up 64% over the same period in 2022. Xi welcomed Putin
level just below the threshold for controls. In October 2023,
to Beijing in October 2023, and declared that “political
the Commerce Department issued interim final rules that
mutual trust” between China and Russia is “continuously
expand controls for some chips that had fallen below the
deepening.” See CRS In Focus IF12100, China-Russia
2022 threshold for controls, subject additional equipment to
Relations and CRS In Focus IF12120, China’s Economic
controls, and expand licensing requirements to apply not
and Trade Ties with Russia.
only to the PRC, but also to 21 other countries subject to a
U.S. arms embargo. The rules create license exemptions for
Relations in the Middle East
“lower performance” and consumer chips, and require
After Gaza-based Palestinian militants launched attacks
export notification of (but do not restrict) some gaming
against Israel in October 2023, and Israel retaliated with air
chips and chips that fall just below the new threshold.
strikes against targets in Gaza, top diplomat Wang Yi stated
that China “opposes and condemns all acts that harm
In response to legislation that would review and restrict
civilians,” singling out Israel’s actions as going “beyond the
some U.S. investment in China, in August 2023, the Biden
scope of self-defense.” Wang called for a ceasefire and de-
Administration issued an Executive Order (E.O.) to create a
escalation and reiterated China’s support for a two-state
process to review U.S. investments in China in advanced
solution to the conflict. See CRS In Focus IF12469, China
chips, AI, and quantum technologies. The Treasury
and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Department’s proposed notice on rulemaking indicates it
may not restrict financial flows, although the E.O. says that
Susan V. Lawrence, Specialist in Asian Affairs
venture capital and private equity investments can involve
Karen M. Sutter, Specialist in Asian Trade and Finance
the transfer of knowhow and fund the development of PRC
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China Primer: U.S.-China Relations

IF10119


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10119 · VERSION 118 · UPDATED

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