When: 1978 Who：U.S. ，China What：The U.S. ended official relations with Nationalist China
中美建交
Why
significant
The U.S. refused to grant official recognition to the communist government of mainland China for nearly 30 years. The U.S. decision to maintain strong relations with the Nationalist government on Taiwan had been the main roadblock to diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China. By the late 1970s, the desire for closer economic relations with mainland China and the belief that diplomatic relations with the PRC might act as a buffer against Soviet aggression led U.S. officials to view continued relations with Taiwan as counterproductive. President Carter’s decision to sever relations with Taiwan removed that obstacle. On January 1, 1979 the United States officially recognized the government of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing. Thereafter, one of the oldest and most antagonistic relationships of the Cold War seemed to be thawing.
