THE CHINA FACTOR IN AMERICA'S SOVIET POLICY Zhang Yebai（24） The China factor has been an important consideration in the making of America's policy towards the Soviet Union in the post-war period. Its importance, however, is limited and subject to the changes in the U.S.-Soviet relations. In the late 1970s, owing to the Soviet threat in the world, the China factor figured more importantly. With the improvement of U.S.-Soviet relations today, the importance has been on the decline.