It's Time for Obama and Clinton to Step up to the Plate on China

Every day, America sends the equivalent of $700 million to China. That's the toll of our imbalanced trade relationship with the "butchers of Beijing." We send our manufacturing jobs, consumer dollars, and technological know-how to China. In return, we receive low-cost, under-inspected, and, all too often, unsafe consumer products. China uses its $256 billion annual trade surplus with the U.S. to fund weapons programs aimed at challenging U.S. military supremacy in the Pacific, build a new electronic "Great Firewall" to limit free speech and dissent, and crush Tibetans who seek to preserve their culture and religion. A small portion of that low, low price you pay at the big box store for a DVD player or pair of pants makes its way back to the communist regime's coffers, which now are filled with more than $1.4 trillion in foreign currency.

The recent crackdown in Tibet shows just how wrong those pundits and politicians really are who claimed that trade will open China. As a Senate candidate in 2000, Hillary Clinton supported granting China permanent, unconditional access to the U.S. market, citing its potential for opening China to greater rights. Senator McCain voted for the bill, which was championed by President Bill Clinton. Even former Senator John Edwards got snookered on this one. Senator Obama claims he would have voted against this bill; only seven Senate Democrats actually did.

Never have so many Senators (83 voted for it!) been so wrong. No one can plausibly make the argument that democracy and human rights are improving in China. No one can credibly make the case that our commercial relations with China have benefited. China is the largest unsolved international economic question of our time. So what can be done now?

We can start by lowering our trade deficit with China. China should stop manipulating its currency to gain a trade advantage. It should stop subsidizing its industries to give them an unfair advantage. And the administration can start enforcing our own trade laws which safeguard American workers, consumers, and businesses against this market-distorting behavior. China mocks our cowardice. But China would not risk access to our market if America were willing to make such access conditional on an end to cheating.

In upcoming primary states like Pennsylvania, Indiana, and North Carolina, this issue is critical. The job losses are mounting. Pennsylvania has shed 78,000 jobs due to our trade deficit with China; 45,000 have been lost in Indiana, and 77,000 in North Carolina. Let's hope that our candidates get the message.

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Comments

[jdm58]

The scary thing is, that China really owns us, whether we admit it or not. I make a concerted effort to purchase items from ANYWHERE but China, but believe me, it's gotten almost impossible. Now, with the US debt to China increasing daily because of the Iraq war (we have to get this money from somewhere, and folks just haven't connected the dots all the way to Bejing yet), it's looking more and more like it won't matter what we say- we won't be able to "put our money where our mouths are" as they say.
Encouraging an international boycott, even partially, of the Olympics will help. But the whole system needs revamping, and until our debt is either secured elsewhere, or paid, I think China has us by the balls.

[tfred]

You mean the same way John McCain has stepped up to the plate? That would be like sending a blind, one armed six year old in as a pinch hitter.