Bilateral Relationship Between US and Mexico - Essay Example

The bilateral relationship between Mexico and the United States has been contentious and intimate. At the beginning, the issue of giving recognition to independent Mexico brought the division of American leaders including John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay. In 1822, when Mexico finally got recognized, the United States push for the expansion of territory resulted in war between the countries (1846.1848). The diplomatic relationship got established on December 12, 1822, when Jose Manuel Zozaya became received by President James Monroe as Mexican Minister to the US. What followed was the political instability in Mexico and created strains in the United States. The diplomatic relationships between the two countries have gradually been developing to the strong relationship though with some difficulties. (Deare, Craig A,3).

The countries share a border of 2000 mile and their relationships have the direct effect on the livelihoods and lives of many people. Some of the issues which promote their relationships include the economic reforms, trade, the drug control, homeland security, the environment and the migrations. The issues get associated with the weakness and strengths that enhance their bilateral relationship. The scope of their relationship goes beyond the official contacts and the diplomatic and it comprise of the extensive cultural, commercial land educational ties, with more than 1.25 billion dollars in trade between them and approximately one billion prohibited border crossing daily. About a million citizens of America live in Mexico. Mexico becomes the leading destination of United States Tourist. In 2012, over 20.3 million citizens of US visited Mexico. (Edmonds-Poli, Emily, and David A,5). On the other hand, the Mexican tourist to the United States was about 13.4 million in 2011 spending 9.2 billion in the visit.

Regarding the issues of trade, the two countries have strengths in their bilateral economic issues. The vice president Bide in September 2013 launched high-level Economic Dialogue (HLED) assisted by the Mexican government counterparts. HLED aimed at elevating and strengthening the bilateral economic and commercial relationship between the two countries. The HLED get led by the level of the cabinet by the secretaries of Mexico and the United States. The trade representative gets visualized as a flexible platform with the intention of advancing strategic economic and the commercial priorities aimed to promote the mutual economic growth, competitiveness and the job creation to the citizens. HLED also serves to allow dialogue and the joint initiative and promotion of shared approaches to global and economic leadership. (Deare, Craig A,4).

Mexico is the second largest export market of the United States after Canada. In 2013, for instance, the two countries traded in goods and service amounting to more than 550million dollars. Mexico made the majority of its export to the united states in that year which comprised mainly of the crude oil and the petroleum. The United States exports to Mexico during the same year comprised of the mineral fuels, plastics, the electrical machinery, motor vehicle parts and the nuclear equipment. The two countries also have strengths in terms of their education exchange. In 2013, President Pena Nieto and President Obama made announcement of the US-Mexico Forum on the Higher Education, research and innovation to make expansion of opportunities for the educational exchanges, the cross-border innovation, and the scientific research partnership to help the countries to develop a 21st century workers for both the sustainable social development and the mutual economic prosperity. The bilateral forum aimed to make an increment of the student mobility between the US and the western hemisphere countries which included Mexico. Notably, the countries also have strengths in their entrepreneurship and innovation. The Mexico-US entrepreneurship and innovation council (MUSEIC) seeks the regional competitiveness enhancement through the strengthening of the Northern American high-impact entrepreneurship ecosystem. MUSEIC comprise of private and public sector representatives from both nations whose role are the development of new initiative along with the public policies aiming the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation.

The two countries have weaknesses in their bilateral relationship concerning the US Mexico Border. The border accommodates the population of over 100 million and has been ranked the world fourth largest economy. The cooperation between the Mexico and the United States along the border comprise of the problem-solving mechanisms, the transport planning and the collaboration in the organizations which address the environment, resource and health issues in the border. The Mexico and U.S have history on natural resource and environmental issues, specifically in the border region, where there are very serious environmental challenges which are caused by the high population growth, industrialization, and urbanization. Another weakness which the two countries have to pertain security issues. Before the Merida Initiative became formed, the two countries had violence and criminality. (Edmonds-Poli, Emily, and David A,6). There was no citizen security in the countries more so in the border region. The Merida Initiative got formed and organized under the four strategic pillars. The aim of the first pillar is to disrupt organized crime while the second pillar aims at improving the capacity of government and institution in Mexico to maintain the rule of the law. The third pillar focuses on border management improvement to enhance legitimate trade and finally, the fourth one seeks to build resilient and strong communities.

Work cited

Deare, Craig A. A Tale of Two Eagles: The Us-Mexico Bilateral Defense Relationship Post Cold War. , 2017. Internet resource.

Edmonds-Poli, Emily, and David A. Shirk. Contemporary Mexican Politics. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2012. Print.