The Biden administration has taken a series of actions against China in recent days, maintaining pressure on America’s main strategic rival even as it focuses on more pressing fronts such as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
Within a week, the administration announced an executive order to protect Americans’ personal data from foreign adversaries, including China; launched an investigation into potential security threats posed by connected vehicles using Chinese technology; and launched an investigation into efforts to support the Moscow intrusion. Sanctions imposed on Chinese entities in Ukraine.
President Joe Biden’s actions contrast with months of warming relations between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping after a November summit in California. The meeting was aimed at improving bilateral relations, which have been marred by competition and mistrust.
Diplomatic contacts between the two sides have increased since the summit, including the resumption of military dialogue that was frozen after former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022.
Restarting staff-level talks in early January is critical to ensuring both sides avoid a major cross-strait incident during Taiwan’s elections later this month.
In January, Washington and Beijing also established a working group aimed at cracking down on the flow of Chinese precursors used to produce fentanyl and other synthetic drugs sold in the United States, another sign of cooperation between the two superpowers. sign.
Relations between the two countries have improved, with Beijing hosting a lavish banquet in January to commemorate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, at which Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi promised that China’s giant pandas, popular with U.S. zoo visitors, would return to the United States by the end of the year. This year’s.
So why is a series of actions being taken against China now?
national security issues
The White House sidestepped questions about how long the measures would last.
White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday that Biden is “concerned about countries like China.”
“China is currently seeking to flood the U.S. and markets around the world with vehicles equipped with advanced technology from relevant countries,” she said. “This is a national security issue that we take very seriously.”
The investigation launched by the U.S. Commerce Department on Thursday aims to ensure that Chinese cars on U.S. roads do not harm U.S. national security, an administration official told reporters at a news conference. The executive order is “complementary and distinct” from that of other foreign adversaries. The latter order blocks bulk transfers of data such as geolocation, biometric, health and financial information to “relevant countries.”
By putting the two announcements together, the administration is trying to send a message that they are taking data security seriously, said Emily Benson, director of the Trade and Technology Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“The expected outcome is that the connected vehicle rule is actually a national security tool,” Benson told VOA.
The United States plans to engage with partners and allies following an investigation into the threat posed by Chinese vehicles. An administration official told VOA at a news conference on Wednesday that there was “a growing awareness of the security risks” and “a lot of interest in the steps we might take and the findings.”
Biden himself has warned of the dangers.
“Connected vehicles from China can collect sensitive data about our citizens and infrastructure and send that data back to the People’s Republic of China,” the president said in a statement.
National security concerns aside, the U.S. government also anticipates that overcapacity for cheaper Chinese cars entering the U.S. market, especially as Chinese automakers such as BYD set up manufacturing plants in Mexico, would make them less eligible under the USMCA (Free Trade Agreement). ) to obtain more favorable tariff rates. Trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“This creates a lot of fear in Washington about the longevity of the U.S. auto industry,” Benson said.
She added that the executive action taken this week was “easier and more appropriate” than the effort to ban TikTok. The social media app is used by more than 100 million Americans despite accusations that its Chinese parent company ByteDance may collect sensitive user data.
While the federal government and dozens of states have banned TikTok from government devices, Congress has yet to enact legislation banning Americans from using the app on personal devices.
The app’s popularity, especially among young people, prompted Biden’s campaign to join the platform despite the administration’s previously staunch stance on its potential national security concerns.
balanced approach
Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, said that as Biden prepares for his re-election campaign, his administration is keen to show that they are taking the Chinese threat seriously.
“Balance has always been a theme of his policies,” Sun told VOA. “While there is active participation, there is also a punitive stance.”
Without such a gesture, she said, the administration would be vulnerable to criticism that it is ignoring the fact that Beijing remains the source of major national security challenges for the United States.
“The government must demonstrate that it has an extremely clear understanding of the limits of participation and the desirability of participation,” she said. “Participation does not mean there are no problems.”
Washington also announced sanctions on Chinese companies last week as part of measures to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The trade penalties target Russia and entities the government sees as supporting Moscow’s war effort.
The action against China follows a meeting between Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in early February.
Wang Yi warned Blinken at the meeting that turning de-risking “into ‘going to China,’ building ‘small courtyards and high walls,’ and engaging in ‘decoupling from China’ will ultimately bring counterproductive consequences to the United States.”
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