ICYMI: Cassidy Urges Congress to Develop a China Strategy Built to Last in Foreign Affairs Op-Ed

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today published an op-ed in Foreign Affairs outlining a durable strategy for United States trade competition with China. Cassidy argues that the U.S. cannot afford a short-term or partisan approach to its most consequential strategic competitor. Instead, America must strengthen its economic and national security foundations at home and use that strength to compete with China and win.

"Long-term challenges require long-term solutions, and Congress is the branch best suited to crafting such solutions. Congress can provide the consistency and predictability needed to align U.S. economic, trade, and national security goals into the future," wrote Dr. Cassidy.

"Congress must take the lead. It can do so by permanently strengthening trade enforcement, modernizing customs authorities, building resilient supply chains throughout the Western Hemisphere, and ensuring that manufacturers in China cannot gain a competitive advantage by simply ignoring environmental standards," said Dr. Cassidy.

Read the full op-ed here or excerpts below:

A China Strategy That Lasts: Congress Must Lead to Compete with Beijing

For decades, Beijing has used trade not only as a means to generate economic growth but also as a geopolitical tool to attract investment, strengthen its industrial base, expand its economy, and support its military. It has done so by integrating national security, economic security, energy policy, and environmental policy.

…

Trade enforcement, even if codified in legislation, cannot on its own counter Chinese incursions into the Western Hemisphere. The United States must also provide countries with attractive alternatives to economic dependence on Beijing.

…

Near-shoring production in the Americas would diversify supply chains away from China, strengthen regional economies, improve U.S. access to critical minerals, and reduce U.S. and global dependence on Chinese manufacturing.

…

China uses trade as an instrument of geopolitical competition. To respond, the United States should keep its trade policy focused on one goal: curbing China's ability to undermine the United States' economy and military infrastructure, along with those of U.S. allies.

Background

Previously, Cassidy has advanced this approach through policies like the Foreign Pollution Fee Act, which would hold China accountable for its unfair trade practices while strengthening American manufacturing and reducing dependence on foreign adversaries.

###