Final answer:
By the end of the 1960s, China viewed the Soviet Union as a larger threat than the U.S., particularly after mutual antagonism intensified following border conflicts in 1969. The assumption that the U.S. was its main adversary is false.
Step-by-step explanation:
False: By the end of the 1960s, China did not necessarily regard the U.S. as its main adversary. During that era, the Sino-Soviet split became pronounced, with both China and the Soviet Union dedicating significant efforts to opposing each other.
In the mid-20th century, U.S. foreign policy was heavily influenced by the dynamics of the Cold War, focusing on the containment of communism. The United States was wary of the spread of communism in Asia; however, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) viewed the Soviet Union as a larger threat, particularly after the border clashes in 1969. The internal dynamics within the Communist bloc were complex, and the assumption of a monolithic communist threat was increasingly questioned. Indeed, during the 1960s, the United States did not recognize the People's Republic of China and instead supported the Nationalists in Taiwan. Yet, it's important to note that the United States' refusal to recognize Communist China's government and the cut-off of all trade relations created strained circumstances, though it was the Soviet Union that emerged as China's main adversary in that period.