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The relationship between the United States and China is a quite unique one among American foreign relations with the countries of the world. Their relationship is between two of the world's largest countries. China has always had a special place in the American psyche, since it goes way back to the beginning of U.S history, when Columbus's discovery of North America was after all, "an accident" as his quest when he left Spain was to find a route to the riches of the Orient. China extended into the early years of the American Republic. Americans developed what they saw as a "special" relationship between themselves and the Chinese in the early days of U.S history. The two major countries could hardly be more different, but there are similarities s as well.

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China does have sizable stores of a variety of mineral resources and various ores,( mining is one of the largest forms of employment in the country), but the country is deficient in the energy resources necessary to sustain and nurture further economic development. Though China produces almost 4 million barrels of oil per day, (fifth most in the world), it actually consumes about 8.2 million barrels per day. (Third in the world) This makes China an aggressive competitor in the world's oil market. In the "China trade", Chinese immigrant laborers played an important role in the development of the American west.

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The physical measure of China makes it such a formidable country. It is the fourth largest country in area in the world. China has the world's largest population and fourth largest land area, whereas the United States is third in the world on both measures. China's sheer size made it an important place even before it began it's transformation to being a modern, competitive country, economically and politically. China's size does also bring liabilities that are not universally share between the two countries, (China and The U.S). The United States has land borders that need defending with only two countries, (Mexico and Canada) while China shares border with 14 nations, some of which it has already gone to war with.

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China's foreign policy ambitions are as aggressive as those of the United States a century ago.. they move in a particular direction by it's needs to secure energy, metals, and strategic minerals in order to support the rising immense population they have. The Chinese have an aging population and low birth rates, in which both the U.S and China contribute to a future with a shrinking population that has lower levels of productive labor. Given China's enormous population, a reduction is not necessarily a bad thing, but for it's consequences, it arises from longer life expectancy. They will soon have to confront an increasing burden on a shrinking workforce to support parents and grandparents without a well-developed social welfare system to shoulder the burden.

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One big major reason it is hard to know exactly how to deal with China is because of China's uniqueness, within the community of nations. No one hardly doubts that China will continue and is growing as an economic giant. China continues to sustain economic growth partly at the expense of its own citizens. China is also a militarily unique state. Chinese military forces have been defensive, they have more more concerned about keeping the "Barbarians" out rather than in spreading its domain beyond its sphere of influence in it's country. China is certainly a dominate player in the world economy and is one of the more aggressive ones. The two Countries have very close relations on one level, primarily in the economic realm. Of course there is also tension between the two , as each views the others economic trajectory as possibly danger.