China's New Policies and its Relations with the United States

China has made dramatic changes in its foreign and domestic policies in the past decade. Chairman Mao had hoped that with China's huge, hardworking population he could quickly force it forward to the rank of a super power. However, China's development lagged, and many observers blamed its slow progress on its disruptive economic and political policies, on rigid economic controls that discouraged production and modernization, and on population pressures. 1 In the past six years Chinese leaders have instituted drastic new policies including strictly limiting population growth and allowing farm production, and to a limited extent industries, to benefit from market forces and relaxed controls. In the process they have opened the door to the outside and improved relations with the United States. By the end of the century China's new momentum may carry it a long way toward Mao's original goal of becoming a super power.