Will US-China relations ever normalise? A timeline of conflict between two superpowers

The United States and China have one of the world's most important and complex bilateral relationships.

Beijing, Feb 06: The Chinese spy balloon might be down, but the diplomatic relations with the United States continued to soar as Beijing warned of repercussions over America's use of force against its civilian unmanned airship.

The presence of this balloon over US airspace has been considered as an act of attack on its sovereignty by the US government.

While China termed it an overreaction and said it reserved "the right to use necessary means to deal with similar situations."

Following this, US Secretary of State Tony Blinken cancelled his trip to Beijing on Friday; the first by a top American diplomat in four years.

Spy balloon' saga is the latest flashpoint between the two powers. The United States and China have one of the world's most important and complex bilateral relationships.

From trade to Taiwan, the countries have experienced periods of both tension and cooperation. Let us have a look

1949: Separated at birth
Although Beijing and the United States and Beijing were allies during World war 11, China's nationalist and communist factions renew hostilities upon Japan's surrender in 1945. The US Department of State issues the China White Paper, stating its intention to stay out of the Chinese civil war as it neither should nor could influence the outcome.

1950: Korean War
Soon after the start of the Korean War, General Douglas MacArthur led U.S. forces across the 38th Parallel and drove north towards China, which brought China into the conflict and precipitated the first military clash between U.S. and Chinese forces since the Boxer Uprising of 1900.
With the United States and China engaged in combat, anti-American sentiment rose in China and almost all remaining U.S. citizens began to pull out.

1954: First Taiwan Strait Crisis
Chinese forces massed along the coast opposite Taiwan, threatening Nationalist-held islands just offshore. The United States intervened to support the Nationalists by discouraging the Communists from invading, and thereafter it continued to aid Jiang Jieshi's government while also pushing it to make various social and economic reforms in Taiwan.

Tibetan Uprising
Nine years after the People's Republic of China asserts control over Tibet, a widespread uprising occurs in Lhasa. Thousands die in the ensuing crackdown by PRC forces, and the Dalai Lama flees to India. The United States joins the United Nations in condemning Beijing for human rights abuses in Tibet, according to the Council on Foreign relations.

1964: The Vietnam war
The large and growing U.S. presence in Vietnam posed a potential threat to the PRC, which began to send more military and technical assistance to the North Vietnamese. At the same time, Chinese engaged in mass demonstrations accusing the United States of imperialist actions, according to the office of the Historian.

1964: PRC Exploded Nuclear Weapon
China successfully tested its first atomic bomb and emerged as a nuclear power in its own right.

1969: Conflict on the China-Soviet Border
A long-standing dispute over the eastern border between the PRC and USSR broke into localized armed conflict, heightening tensions between the two. This conflict bolstered the Nixon Administration in its intention to improve relations with the PRC in order to isolate and pressure the Soviet Union.

1972: Nixon's Visit to China and the Shanghai Communiqué
On February 21, President Nixon arrived in Beijing, the first American head of state ever to set foot on the Chinese Mainland.

1996: Third Taiwan Strait Crisis
With presidential elections looming in Taiwan, the PRC conducted military exercises and ballistic missile tests in the Taiwan Strait, prompting stern warnings from the United States. As tensions rose, the United States sent two carrier battle groups into the Strait, which may have helped calm the situation.

1998: Clinton's Visit to China
The year after Jiang Zemin came to the United States, President Bill Clinton paid a return trip to China for a summit meeting. During his visit, he stated that the United States held to a "three no's policy" regarding Taiwan. By this he meant that the United States does not support Taiwan's independence, "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" policies, or Taiwan's membership in international organizations where statehood is required.

1999: Bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade
During NATO airstrikes on Serbia, U.S. planes accidentally bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, killing three and wounding twenty. This sparked a wave of anti-U.S. demonstrations throughout China, with multiple attacks on U.S. diplomatic properties.

2015: US calls on China to halt South China Sea build-up
The US warns China to cease "any further militarisation" of a chain of artificial islands and reefs in the South China Sea. The region is disputed as China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines all have territorial claims.

2018: Trump imposes trade tariffs on China
In response to the alleged theft of US intellectual property, US President Donald Trump announces trade tariffs on Chinese imports, specifically targeting steel, aluminium, clothing and electronics. China imposes retaliatory measures on 128 classes of US imports.

July 2020: China's Houston consulate shut down; Pompeo blasts Xi
In late July, the US orders the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, alleging it is at the centre of a spying and intellectual property theft operation. China retaliates by ordering the closure of the US consulate in Chengdu.

2022: Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan amid threats by China over the decision. Last week, President Xi Jinping had warned US President Joe Biden to "not play with fire" (by provoking China). In retaliation, at least 21 Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's air defence zone.