WSCRC Looks Forward to the Refreshed China Policy in Biden Administration

The WSCRC congratulates President-Elect Joe Biden and his Vice Presient-elect Kamala Harris on their historic election. Among the many issues confronting the new administration will be the tense and challenging state of the country’s relationship with China. The new administration has an opportunity to reset American’s China policy, and our organization hopes that new leadership in the White House will take a more constructive and balanced approach to the world’s most complex and important bilateral relationship.

The WSCRC hopes that the new administration will tone down the harsh rhetoric that now defines the U.S.-China relationship and endeavor to find new ways to engage in constructive dialogue.

For example, we endorse an idea recently proposed by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the recent Bloomberg New Economy Forum. At that event, Dr. Kissinger noted that both countires should designate a trusted senior aide to be in close contact on behalf of each president. Both countries must try to create some “cooperative endeavors,” Kissinger suggested, by sorting out “issues to avoid” and focusing on “issues we can achieve.”

In a recent WSCRC webinar titled “De-Coupling or Reset,” invited speakers discussed possible ways that the Biden administration might approach China. These included increased multilateralism, (e.g., working with our allies to confront some of China’s most egregious moves,) and a call for full reciprocity in trade negotiations. A future trade policy should also consider the harm that escalating tariffs have reaped on domestic consumers and companies, many of whom rely on Chinese imports with few or no alternatives, as well as exporters harmed by being shut out of China’s market. Consistency and coherence in articulating goals and communicating intent are of clear importance in a forward-looking China policy that benefit Americans. Similarly, our organization recommends that the U.S. abandon its “tit-for-tat” reactions to moves by China and focus on our core values of respect for human rights and free speech.

While the Trump Administration’s goal of resetting the economic relationship with China had merit, the execution of its plan led to confrontation, escalating tension and mutual distrust on both sides of the Pacific. We hope that the new administration will work to ameliorate the current situation and build a better balance in the U.S.-China relationship.