Los Angeles, CA — Over the past eight months, the world’s dependence on China has become clear. We have seen a coronavirus pandemic start in China, spreading rapidly across the globe. It’s led to some, such as President Trump, to speak out and say we should be less dependent on China.
President Trump had shared that message from before the election. He shared that the US needed to eliminate its dependence on China and bring manufacturing back to the United States. Others, such as Joe Biden, now agree with that message.
The US quickly found itself in a precarious situation. A lot of our PPE for the coronavirus pandemic was made in China. A lot of other necessary materials for medications and vaccines were also from China. It left us reliant on China, much more than we ever dreamed.
I recently shared that the Chinese have found a partnership with Russia, a relationship that should be concerning for all Americans. Even amid the pressure from some of the various world leaders, will the pressure cause any changes in our dependence on China?
Germany has been pressuring its chancellor to change its relationship with China. The US has ramped up its rhetoric with the recent closure of a Chinese consulate, to which the Chinese responded. Other nations have seemed to back off such measures, simply choosing to serve the mission with words instead of actions.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that the “tide is turning” on China in his recent comments. He says that there is international support for the mission the US has started. Where are these nations? They are simply providing lip service, rather than action.
The US has gone as far as moving thousands of troops to the region, to help guard against China. I suggested some time ago that China could be preparing for war with the United States, and perhaps the US is responding to a perceived threat.
Reducing our dependence on China is absolutely in the best interest of the United States. It seems that the world is so dependent on them that no one wants to join the act, however. Israel recently ignored American warnings and continues to move along with several high profile deals with China. Other key allies are doing the same.
Biden and Trump have both shared their vision for dealing tough with China. One has given us key examples in trade deals and other measures of his hard-line stance. Biden, however, has always been soft on China and has negotiated multiple deals with them.
If Biden were elected, the same lip service would be all that the US gave in the China relations as well. We simply cannot afford this. We must break our dependence on China, but we also have to convince others to go along with us.
Americans support actions against China and the government taking steps to reduce our dependence on them. Trump and Pompeo need to find a way to encourage our allies to start acting, rather than simply talking. We must find a way to decrease world dependence on China and put pressure on them to change their ways.
JD Washington is the Editor-in-Chief at The Liberty Loft and host of The JD Washington Show. Be sure to subscribe to The Liberty Loft’s daily newsletter. If you enjoy our content, please consider donating to support The Liberty Loft so we can continue to deliver great content.
