Reading Questions, Week V Wang Zhongchun, “The Soviet Factor in Sino-American Normalization, 1969-1979", chapter 5, in William C. Kirby, Robert S. Ross, and Gong Li, editors, Normalization of U.S.-China Relations: An International History. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2005. -Identify the main argument of Wang’s article. -Outline the decline in Sino-Soviet relations in the 1950s-1968, as discussed by Wang. -What concerns did Chinese officials articulate about the Soviet military buildup in Asia. -Discuss the background and history of the Conflict on Zhenbao Island (Bear Island) in 1969 -What does Wang say about Chinese official concerns and perceptions in the late 1960s and early 1970s? -How did the PRC government adjust its policy towards the United States? What initiatives did Americans take to improve Sino-American relations? -Summarize the strategic situation along the Sino-Soviet border in the early 1970s. -What points does Wang make in section on “the line strategy for strategic cooperation against the Soviet Union™? -Discuss the dynamics of detente (lessening of tensions or conflict) in Sino-America-Soviet relations. -What factors shaped the eventual normalization of relations between China and the United States in 19797 -What conclusions does Wang reach?
