▁in ▁H ano i , ▁but ▁the ▁Chinese ▁government ▁stated ▁that ▁these ▁were ▁in ▁no ▁way ▁officially ▁san ction ed . ▁ ▁After ▁Ron ald ▁Re agan ▁was ▁elected ▁US ▁president ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁he ▁gave ▁a ▁speech ▁critic izing ▁the ▁Be ij ing ▁government ▁and ▁propos ing ▁that ▁diplom atic ▁t ies ▁with ▁Taiwan ▁be ▁restored . ▁This ▁ar oused ▁pan ic ▁in ▁China , ▁and ▁Re agan ▁was ▁convinced ▁by ▁his ▁advis ors ▁to ▁ret ract ▁these ▁statements . ▁Vice ▁President ▁George ▁H . ▁W . ▁Bush ▁( who ▁had ▁been ▁l ia ison ▁officer ▁to ▁China ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 2 – 1 9 7 8 ) ▁then ▁apolog ized ▁for ▁the ▁president ' s ▁remarks . ▁ ▁Despite ▁this , ▁S ino - US ▁relations ▁took ▁a ▁down ward ▁turn ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 – 1 9 8 2 . ▁The ▁Chinese ▁took ▁um bra ge ▁at ▁Re agan ' s ▁vocal ▁anti - comm un ism , ▁even ▁though ▁it ▁was ▁mainly ▁directed ▁at ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁continued ▁US ▁arms ▁sales ▁to ▁Taiwan . ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁Premier ▁Z ha o ▁Z iy ang ▁visited ▁North ▁Korea ▁where ▁he ▁attacked ▁the ▁US ▁tro op ▁presence ▁on ▁the ▁Korean ▁pen ins ula ▁and ▁stated ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁continued ▁division ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁There ▁were ▁various ▁minor ▁squ ab bles ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁grant ing ▁of ▁as yl um ▁to