Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who played a pivotal role in establishing diplomatic relations between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, died at his home in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday. He was 100.
According to a statement from the Carter Center, Carter passed away “peacefully” at home, “surrounded by his family.”
“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” said Chip Carter, the former president’s son, in the statement.
Carter was the longest-lived president in U.S. history, leaving behind a legacy of diplomacy and humanitarian work that spanned decades.
Pivotal in U.S.-China Diplomatic Ties
Serving as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981, Carter made the normalization of U.S.-China relations a primary goal of his foreign policy. During his 1976 presidential campaign, he publicly pledged to formalize ties with the Chinese mainland, recognizing the significance of the People’s Republic of China on the global stage.
“I believed that the normalization of relations between our two nations would advance the cause of peace in Asia and the world,” Carter reflected in later years. “The People’s Republic of China comprised about one-fourth of the world’s total population and played a major role in international affairs. That reality needed to be officially recognized by my country.”
He added, “It was clear to me that both the Chinese and American people would benefit greatly from the commercial and cultural relations that normalization would bring. I also was confident that normalization would include a renewal of the historic friendship between us.”
Despite previous steps toward rapprochement, including the Ping-Pong Diplomacy of 1971 and President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972, formal diplomatic relations had yet to be established. Through secret negotiations with late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, Carter succeeded in moving the relationship forward.
On December 16, 1978, China and the United States simultaneously issued the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, agreeing to recognize each other and to establish formal diplomatic ties as of January 1, 1979. This monumental step not only reshaped international relations but also opened doors for extensive economic and cultural exchanges between the two nations.
Carter’s commitment to strengthening China-U.S. relations has had a lasting impact on global affairs, fostering mutual understanding and cooperation that continue to influence both countries and the broader international community.
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Jimmy Carter, advocate of stronger China-U.S. ties, dies aged 100
cgtn.com
