Bush's China Legacy

It could be decades before history definitively judges George W. Bush, but at this moment in time, his legacy in China looks pretty favorable.

China experienced unprecedented economic growth over the past eight years, and much of this growth can be attributed to the trade relationship with the U.S., which became stronger during Bush's presidency.  Beyond the economic relationship, Bush's appearance at the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics went a long way towards promoting bilateral ties.

China critics haven't been the most complimentary of Bush's relations with China, and in particular, his Olympic trip.  Many politicians including President-elect Barack Obama criticized his decision to attend the Games, but it won him millions of supporters in China.

The positive relations between Bush and the Chinese public are mutual.  In his foreign policy remarks earlier today, Bush highlighted his "strengthened ties with China."  He told the crowd, "I'm not sure if this is historically accurate, but we might be the only administration that has had really good ties with Japan, South Korea, and China all at the same time."

It will be interesting to see whether or not these strengthened ties with China continue during the Obama administration.  Obama has been fairly outspoken regarding China's currency, human rights, and seems to favor a more protectionist trade stance than his predecessor.  Of course, if history is any indication, much of the tough anti-China campaign rhetoric becomes silenced once a new president takes office.

On the other hand, the global economic situation might strain some of the existing trade ties, especially if one of the two countries becomes more protectionist.   At this point, it's impossible to know what the future holds in terms of Sino-U.S. relations, but hopefully the next 8 years will be even better than the last.