China Documents

Below, please find selected documents concerning U.S. - China relations. For further information on viewing these documents in person, requesting access to additional materials on U.S. - China relations in the Bush Presidential Library, or filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, please contact the George Bush Presidential Library. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section under research for further information.

• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Number 1998-0397-F

  • Subject: The Dalai Lama and his Relationship with the United States and China
  • Discussion: This FOIA contains information regarding the Dalai Lama and his relationship with the United States and China. Much of the material in the subject file consists of correspondence concerning alleged Chinese violations of human rights in Tibet with appeals for the United States to take a more active role in preventing Chinese abuses. The bulk of the office files contain information on the President's meeting with the Dalai Lama and background information on Tibet.

• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Number 1999-0182-F

  • Subject: Taiwan
  • Discussion: This FOIA request consists of material related to Taiwan (The Republic of China), including correspondence from Madame Chiang Kai-shek. Material deals with issues such as Taiwan's application for membership in GATT, trade issues, arms sales, and general relations. Researchers should note that since the United States transferred official recognition from Taiwan to the People's Republic of China in 1979, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) (under contract to the Department of State) became the contact point for communications between the U.S. and Taiwan. Taiwan's contact in the U.S. was the Coordination Council for North American Affairs (CCNAA). Material includes routine letters from the public and Congress, and routine memoranda within the Administration. A significant amount of material responsive to this FOIA is contained in the files of the National Security Council (NSC). Although these files are listed, it should be noted that most of these documents are security classified and have been closed under the restrictions of the Presidential Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act. When these documents are closed, a copy of the withdrawal sheet explaining the closure is provided.

• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Number 2000-0116-F (COMING SOON)

  • Subject: U.S.-China Relations
  • Discussion: This FOIA request contains selected files related to China, including most favored nation status, the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations, and general U.S.-China relations during the Bush Administration.
    A significant amount of material responsive to this FOIA is contained in the files of the National Security Council (NSC). Although these files are listed, it should be noted that most of these documents are security classified and have been closed under the restrictions of the Presidential Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Number 2000-0948-F (COMING SOON)

  • Subject: Wan Li
  • Discussion: This FOIA request contains documents related to meetings between Chairman Wan Li, of the People's Republic of China and President Bush and Vice President Quayle (May 22-23, 1989). These documents consist of routine memoranda, schedules, talking points, and memorandums of conversation. A significant amount of material responsive to this FOIA is contained in the files of the National Security Council (NSC). Although these files are listed, it should be noted that most of these documents are security classified and have been closed under the restrictions of the Presidential Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Number 2000-0950-F (COMING SOON)

  • Subject: Tiananmen Square
  • Discussion: This FOIA request consists materials relating to the demonstrations, which occurred throughout China from mid-April through June 1989, focusing particularly on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Materials include public mail, memoranda, reports, cables, meeting notes, and news clippings. The cables provide a day-by-day account of events across China during this time, but they remain classified. Public mail documents the reaction of the American people to the events in China and provides a cross section of American public opinion regarding the democracy movement in China and the eventual crackdown by Chinese authorities. Meeting notes, memoranda, and reports provide information about Administration reaction to the protests in China and eventual Chinese government actions, though substantive materials documenting policy formation remain closed in accordance with the Presidential Records Act.