America’s trade embargo against China and the East in the Cold War Years

Abstract

This article traces the evolution of the American policy from 1947 of persuading the Western nations to embargo the export to the Soviet Union, and after 1949 to the PRC, of all technology or machinery used in the production of military weapons. The recent war demonstrated that technology would win the future wars and the communist countries must be stopped from stealing the West’s technology. The Truman administration drew up long lists of items to be banned, and the President Eisenhower continued the process with US embassy officials policing the operation. The Kennedy administration lessened the intensity of its ban that slightly favoured China although President Johnson reimposed the prohibitions and it was left to President Nixon along with Dr. Kissinger to lessen the East–West trade embargo and soften the relationships.