Indispensable Allied Collaboration: The Coordinating Committee and US Export Control Policies of China,1966–80

Abstract

This article explores the transformation of US export control policies towards China from 1966 to 1980, shifting from an embargo to a more relaxed approach – ultimately more favourable than that applied to the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. Drawing on archival sources from the United States, China, Japan and Britain, it highlights the complex dynamics within the capitalist bloc that influenced Washington's policy adjustments. The article argues that US allies, both competing for access to the China market and coordinating within the Coordinating Committee to promote a more lenient policy towards China, significantly influenced the decision-making process of US leaders to relax export controls – both unilaterally and multilaterally – thereby strengthening US-China economic relations.