Proceedings of the International scientific and practical conference ―Synergy of Modern Science and Education‖ (June 12-14, 2026) / Publisher website: www.naukainfo.com. – New York, USA, 2026. - 145 p.

33 DOI: https://doi.org/10.64828/conf-132-2026-4 UDC 327(73:510)"2017/2021" Sofiia Boryshchuk BA Student Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Kyiv, Ukraine THE DEVELOPMENT AND STATE OF U.S.–PRC POLITICAL RELATIONS DURING THE FIRST DONALD TRUMPADMINISTRATION (2017–2021) Abstract. Article examines the evolution of political relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China (PRC) during Donald Trump's first presidential administration (2017–2021). The study traces the transition of bilateral ties from initial attempts at diplomatic engagement and high-level dialogue to an open institutional and ideological confrontation. While initially seeking compromise on trade deficits and regional security, the U.S. administration soon shifted its paradigm, officially designating China as a strategic competitor in the 2017 National Security Strategy. The research highlights key dimensions of this systemic rivalry, including the escalation of the trade war, the imposition of sanctions for human rights violations in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and restrictions on Chinese technological espionage and academic mobility. Furthermore, the article analyzes the strengthening of U.S.–Taiwan relations through legislative acts, arms sales, and strategic cooperation in the semiconductor industry, which further intensified bilateral tensions. The findings conclude that the Trump administration's extensive use of executive orders and restrictive measures marked a definitive departure from previous policies of cautious diplomatic dialogue, resulting in a systemic, multidimensional competition between Washington and Beijing. Keywords: u.S.–PRC relations, Donald Trump administration, strategic competition, foreign policy, trade war, Taiwan, sanctions. Political relations between the United States and the PRC in 2017–2021 evolved from attempts at limited bilateral understanding into the most open institutional and ideological confrontation in the entire history of bilateral contacts since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979. The Donald Trump administration abandoned the previous model of cautious diplomatic dialogue and consistently intensified political pressure on China, regarding it as a strategic competitor. During his first year in office as President of the United States, Donald Trump sought to reduce the level of tensions in relations with the PRC by establishing personal contact with PRC President Xi Jinping. The U.S. administration proceeded from the assumption that direct dialogue at the highest level could facilitate agreements on two key issues simultaneously: reducing the U.S. trade deficit with China and strengthening Beijing’s role in restraining the DPRK’s nuclear program [11]. The most important event of this stage was the Mar-a-Lago summit on April 6–7, 2017: the meeting took place in a constructive atmosphere, demonstrating the parties’ readiness to maintain direct political dialogue [2]. The next step was the U.S. President’s state visit to the PRC on November 8–10, 2017. The Chinese side accorded this visit an exceptionally high protocol status, seeking to emphasize the importance of bilateral relations and personal contact between the leaders; at the same time, the positive public tone of these meetings did not eliminate the main structural disagreements between the United States and the PRC [13]. As early as December 2017, the publication of the National Security Strategy (NSS) demonstrated that the Trump administration viewed China not as a partner for long-term political compromise, but as a strategic competitor [3]. An important stage in the deterioration of political relations was the speech delivered by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at the Hudson Institute in October 2018 [4]. Pence outlined a new American position toward China, accusing Beijing of violating intellectual property rights, militarizing the South China Sea, interfering in the internal affairs of the United States, and committing human rights violations. In July 2020, Secretary of State M. Pompeo delivered a speech at the Nixon Library, in which he clearly distinguished between the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people, calling for the formation of an alliance of democracies to counter Beijing [5]. In June 2019, against the background of the escalation of the trade war, the presidents of the United States and the PRC held a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka. The negotiations were aimed at the temporary de-escalation of tensions. As a result, the United States agreed to postpone the introduction of new tariffs on approximately USD 300 billion worth of Chinese imports and also allowed for