U.S. Department of State

More information about China is available on the China Country Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.

U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS

The United States seeks a constructive, results-oriented relationship with China. The United States works to achieve concrete progress on U.S. interests, including ensuring Chinese support for exerting maximum pressure on North Korea to end its nuclear program, reducing the U.S. trade deficit with China, and stopping the flow of illegal opioids from China to the United States. The United States also seeks progress on areas of disagreement such as China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and lack of respect for human rights and religious freedom. In addition to regular discussions between senior U.S. officials and their Chinese counterparts, the United States uses a range of exchanges, dialogues, and people-to-people ties to pursue its goals.

U.S. ASSISTANCE TO CHINA

Congressionally-mandated U.S. assistance programs in China focus on six principal areas: supporting efforts to protect and preserve Tibetan culture, and promote sustainable livelihoods and market integration in Tibetan communities; building local capacity in targeted Tibetan communities to assess natural resource management issues and appropriately sustain natural resource-based livelihood options; advancing environmental standards and protections, and market-based reforms supporting the environment; advancing the rule of law and human rights; addressing the threat of pandemic diseases; and providing counternarcotics assistance and training to Chinese counterparts.

BILATERAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS

Two-way trade between China and the United States has grown from $33 billion in 1992 to over $772 billion in goods and services in 2017. China is currently the third-largest export market for U.S. goods (after Canada and Mexico), and the United States is China’s largest export market. The U.S. trade deficit in goods with China grew to an unacceptable $375 billion as of 2017. The United States seeks fair and reciprocal trade with China, and works to protect American workers and businesses from unfair Chinese economic actions, including market access restrictions, forced technology transfers, and weak protection of intellectual property rights.

CHINA’S MEMBERSHIP in INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

The People's Republic of China assumed the China seat at the United Nations in 1971, replacing Taiwan, and is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Over the years, China has become increasingly active in multilateral organizations, particularly in the United Nations and in various regional fora.

Bilateral Representation

The U.S. Ambassador to China is Terry Branstad; other principal embassy officials are listed in the Department's Key Officers List.

More information about China is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:

Department of State China Country Page
Department of State Key Officers List
CIA World Factbook China Page
U.S. Embassy
USAID China Page
Human Rights Reports
International Religious Freedom Reports
Trafficking in Persons Reports
Narcotics Control Reports
Investment Climate Statements
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Countries Page
U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics
Export.gov International Offices Page
Library of Congress Country Studies
Travel Information