What Is The U.S. Democrat Strategy And Policy Towards China?

2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden, speaking in 2015 when he was vice-president, will need to come up with a reality-based strategy to tackle China © Reuters

Minxin Pei, Nikkei Asian Review: Democrats need a China strategy to replace Trump's aggressive policy

US must unite at home before it can realistically face up to Beijing

Democrats have been battling President Donald Trump on almost every major policy issue ever since the former real estate magnate entered the White House. But on China, arguably America's most consequential foreign policy challenge, Democrats have been strangely cheering their political nemesis from the sidelines.

They have not only embraced Trump's hard line on trade with China, but also appear oblivious to the consequences of the Trump administration's policy of waging a long-term, full-spectrum strategic confrontation with Beijing.

When it comes to China, Democrats have been outmaneuvered by Trump. Beijing is deeply unpopular with the American public. The most recent Pew Research survey reveals that 60% view China unfavorably and 53% think bilateral economic ties are a "bad thing." Only 41% think such ties are a "good thing."

Given the raging trade war, China's aggressive actions in the South China Sea and egregious violations of human rights, it would be political suicide to counsel caution, let alone take a softer line, on Beijing.

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WNU editor: From President Obama's Asian pivot to today's embrace of President Trump's China strategy, the Democrats have dramatically shifted their viewpoints on this issue. But in all fairness this shift has occurred not because of U.S. politics and Trump, but because of Chinese behaviour and aggression. China wants to rewrite the territorial map of Asia to its favour, and it is using its military to enforce its claims. Coupled with its appalling human rights record, China's friends in the West are disappearing. In this context the Democrats will not differ much from President Trump, and in some cases I will not be surprised if they will start to voice for a more harsher response.