According to experts, the American business elite has become a lobbyist in China

Beijing’s well-documented abusive trade practices, human rights violations, and territorial invasions, on the one hand, are political and military leadership of democracies, while China, on June 14, the American Enterprise Institute. The panelists said at a hearing held by the think tank in China.

American and European executives tend to calm Beijing leaders to the feeling that the Chinese government is their friend, and changing this false sense is against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) invasion. It is of utmost importance for taking effective action and protecting national security. According to experts, the economic and political interests of Western countries.

A long testimony from Congressman Darin LaHood (Republican Party) was taken up in a hearing entitled “Protecting the Western Economy from China’s Unfair Practices.”

“From my point of view, China is an existential threat in many ways. From a national security perspective, an economic perspective, a trade perspective, and a cyber perspective. I often say this: China has plans to replace us economically and militarily, where you can go down the list, “La Hood said.

But even though Beijing’s rulers have ambitions against the interests of the United States, close economic ties between the great powers often prevent some from seeing the problem clearly, Rafud argued. .. In 18 years^th Mr Rahood, his representative parliamentary district in central Illinois, said his members’ livelihoods are heavily dependent on trade with China.

“I have the eighth largest agricultural district in the country. About one-third of the corn and soybeans my farmers grow go to China every day. I am a Caterpillar worker anywhere in the world. Is the most concentrated. In my district, we manufacture a lot of engines, tractors and excavators, “says La Hood.

He pointed out that Caterpillar has 29 manufacturing plants and 4 R & D facilities in China. Given these realities, many of the rhetoric heard in Congress seeks the idea of ​​the Cold War to counter the threat of CCP, and US workers and Chinese companies.

If the arguments made when China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 proved to be true and China’s entry into a more rule-based Western-style trading system began, it would be political. La Hood argued that the disconnect between position and economic position would not be so serious. But the promises made when Beijing sought to join the WTO proved empty, he said.

“Overall, they are not adapting to rule-based systems. They continue to steal our intellectual property and adhere to the same rules and standards that all developed countries in the world do. No, “La Hood commented.

Psychological dimension

The Chinese elite is very proficient in delighting the ego of US business leaders and representatives, deepening economic relations, and confronting US political goals, Washington-based magazine, Foreign Policy. James Palmer, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Policy, said. American entrepreneurs feel attracted to the “attraction” of the Chinese market, which has 1.3 billion consumers, and the enormous commercial potential it sees, and the enormous profit temptation is intellectual. It undermines the reaction of US business leaders to rampant abuse of property (IP) and the like. Theft, he said.

IP theft by Chinese entities has damaged the United States Estimated According to the US Intellectual Property Theft Commission, $ 225 to $ 600 billion annually in recent years.

“We’ve seen people don’t want to cooperate in the theft, but none of them really discourage businesses from wanting to break in. [the Chinese] In the market, to benefit from cheap labor and cheap labor undisturbed by unions. If there’s one thing CCP dislikes, it’s a union, “Palmer said.

When American businessmen travel to China, they often find themselves sensitive to compliments about the guarantee of the centrality of the US-China economic partnership and their own role in maintaining it, Palmer said. I made a suggestion. He said it was important to look carefully at how the CCP targeted western executives for this type of psychological tactic.

“Arrive in Beijing and go to Shangri-La Hotel or Mandarin Oriental. You are in a 5-star hotel. You are surrounded by pleasant young Chinese who will tell you how important you are and how important you are. “The relationship between the United States and China is how important business is to them and how radicals exist in both countries, but you are a modest speaker and a bridge,” Palmer said. rice field.

“And you’re back, [Washington] DC, oh, the Chinese are really very rational people. And you effectively turn yourself into a lobbyist, “he added.

Palmer said that this kind of soft attack targeting American businessmen is, of course, impossible, or, objectively, to prevent friendly conversations between Chinese and visiting Americans. He said it was difficult to counter because it was desirable. Business and political leaders need to use effective tactics. Palmer U.S. sanctions It was published in 2019 by smartphone and tech device maker Huawei as an example of an effective means of responding to abusive Chinese practices.

“Huawei has provided us with some very useful models for sanctions and sanctions tools that have been activated and used against Russia,” Palmer said.

He added that economic separation could also occur as a result of Beijing’s own initiative. This happens when Chinese authorities are suffering from “internal paranoia” about US influence, or what Chinese Communist Party leaders consider to be “US cultural and economic penetration.” An example of this is evident in the entertainment industry, where American movies are struggling to pass the censorship of showing movie products.

“For years, Hollywood has been a classic example of the American industry doing whatever Beijing said to gain access, but now that it’s starting to affect Hollywood, it’s getting permission to enter China. Few movies are out there, “Palmer said.

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Michael Washburn is a New York-based reporter covering topics related to the United States and China. He has a background in legal and financial journalism and also writes about art and culture. In addition, he hosts the weekly podcast “Reading the Globe.” His books include “Uprooted Stories,” “When We Adult,” and “Stranges, Strangers.”