Democrats’ blue wave means rough waters ahead for US-China relations
Comedian Patton Oswalt once joked about the United States electing a KKK president after the progressive years of Barack Obama. It’s worth retelling, not just because it’s funny but because it captures the swing between extremes in US politics. That’s worth keeping in mind in light of the so-called Democratic blue wave sweeping the country. It goes: “We will have a woman president, probably…
The recent Democratic "blue wave" has symbolized a potential shift in US-China relations, but experts warn of uncertain terrain ahead. Following Obama's progressive years, Americans elected Donald Trump, who initiated a trade war with China, which escalated under President Biden into a full-blown economic conflict over technology.
However, recent steps by Trump and Xi have sought to stabilize relations. A Foreign Affairs essay suggests Trump may cooperate with a Democrat-led Congress on confronting China, focusing on penalizing Chinese supply chains for critical materials and expanding protectionist measures. Centrists from both parties view China as the most significant strategic and economic threat to the US, favoring a "managed competition" approach like President Biden's.
This includes supporting Taiwan's defense, high-level diplomacy, and strengthening alliances. Democrats are likely to advocate a harder stance against China and push for a pivot to Asia. Progressive Democrats may support stricter US export controls, particularly in technology and AI. While some progressives caution against an excessively hawkish approach, they acknowledge shared interests with China in AI safety and climate change.
However, political capital in the US is rarely gained by being soft on China, making it unlikely for the new progressives to pursue such a strategy once in office.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
