Posted on 01/28/2024 4:50:09 AM PST by FarCenter
WASHINGTON -- The main players driving U.S.-China relations have changed, with the U.S. Congress and the Chinese security services playing a more prominent role while the American business community -- traditionally a force for moderation -- loses influence, according to a former White House official.
This reflects a new and important reality: The relationship is as much about domestic politics as it is about geopolitics, and perhaps more so, China policy expert Evan Medeiros told Nikkei Asia in an interview.
Medeiros, a former National Security Council senior director for Asian affairs under then-President Barack Obama, wrote about the topic in a report titled "The New Domestic Politics of U.S.-China Relations," published by the Asia Society Policy Institute in December. At the NSC, he wrote a memo suggesting that the American and Chinese vice presidents deepen engagement, leading to the reciprocal visits by Joe Biden and Xi Jinping roughly a decade ago.
"The Chinese clearly underestimate the power and influence of Congress," Medeiros said.
"They underestimate it because they don't know how to distill the 535 voices talking and debating and arguing from the ability to actually take action," he said. "What they don't understand is that that is part of the democratic process."
In the Asia Society report, Medeiros raised "congressional activism" as one of the biggest changes in America's China policy, especially over the past five years.
The new activism emerged around 2012, when committees began conducting investigations into the national security risks posed by Chinese telecommunications hardware companies Huawei and ZTE, and the impact of China's Confucius Institutes on the U.S. education system.
Former President Donald Trump's administration subsequently acted in many of these areas, Medeiros pointed out.
In January 2023, Congressional activism got kicked up a notch with the establishment of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, chaired by Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican. While the committee has no legislative authority, it uses hearings, travel, investigations and policy recommendations to highlight a range of Chinese policies, concerns and actions.
underestimation emboldens people to do stupid things. China needs to fear and respect us.
How's that "fundamental transformation" thingy going?
I don’t believe a damn thing a government “employee” says anymore. They’re all FOS. NO CREDIBILITY.
If congressmen could be bought, underestimate could mean underpay.
I think that's exactly what this means - China has invested too much into the King and neglected to pay off enough of the local lords.
Congress has any power? Under Republican leadership?
Exactly. This could be decoded to mean send more bribe money to Congress.
They can’t even secure the border. No. They are powerless.
>>If congressmen could be bought, underestimate could mean underpay.
Since the US is “the Leader of the Free World”, it is in every ally and foe’s interest to understand US political systems and maximize their ability to influence US politicians.
Indeed. We have the best Congress money can buy.
>>They can’t even secure the border.
They don’t want to secure the border.
Do we have a million prime military age men in China?
The border can’t be physically secured short of using machine guns German Democratic Republic style. Nobody in Congress wants to shoot at the invaders.
We need to wall off our money via the federal Constitution and the state constitutions.
Also, one person at The Conservative Treehouse suggested that people that entered the US illegally should not be allowed to vote by state law. I would add submitting or promoting a fraudulent asylum or refugee claim as grounds for barring voting.
If the Georgia RICO statute can include out of state actions, so can any state law.
State of ... Voter Registration Form
Did you after ...2024, enter the US illegally?
Did you after ...2024, try to make, further or abet a fraudulent asylum or refugee claim?
Ben Franklin would be amazed to discover, that the Congress has the power to adjust the world temperature.
Did you after ...2024, take an oath of naturalization in the furtherance of a fraudulent scheme to reside and/or work in the USA?
Congress could export military goods to nearly countries the Congress wishes to protect.
Congress could selectively restrict Chinese exports to the USA - toys, garments, bedding, fashion accessories, recreational goods, etc.
>>The border can’t be physically secured short of using machine guns German Democratic Republic style.
Yes, Hiram Maxim and John Browning pretty much solved the problem of how to stop large numbers of people on foot from marching onto your position.
The GDR used fencing to dissuade most border crossers, but plowed strips containing land mines also helped. In Berlin itself, the wall was fairly effective.
Israel probably is the best example of walls as border barriers around the Palestinian areas. However other countries also use walls.
Walls, of course have to be defended, and machine guns work for that. I doubt that you’d have to shoot more than a few thousand border crossers before the flow became a trickle.
I have yet to see power in congress reverse the course towards socialist totalitarianism in the US.
The only thing to underestimate is how long it’ll take for us to get there.
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