Abstract:

The US–China relations are increasingly important for international politics. It is a matter of curiosity what kind of relationship the United States, which is still the hegemonic power, will have with the rising China. As an unexpected event, the 9/11 attacks changed the foreign policy priorities of the United States. Likewise, these attacks caused a significant change in the normal course of China–US relations. This study aimed to respond to the question of how the 9/11 attacks and the events that followed impacted China–US relations. In this study, it is claimed that the 9/11 attacks delayed the rise of China as a top priority in the US foreign policy for a long time. It is argued that the 9/11 attacks prevented the formation of a consistent policy against China. The 9/11 attacks and the developments afterward delayed the US view of China as a strategic competitor.

Keywords: