U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement

On January 31, 1979, weeks after the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC, or China) established diplomatic relations, U.S. President Jimmy Carter and PRC leader Deng Xiaoping signed the U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement (STA), the first major agreement between the two governments. The STA was a part of U.S. strategy at the time to build ties with China to counter the influence of the Soviet Union.