Risch: Democrats Have Failed to Confront China, Republicans Have A Plan

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently released a report entitled One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: A Review of U.S.-Europe Cooperation on China, that grades the Biden-Harris Administration on its lack of progress in addressing the challenges posed by China. This report is a follow-up to the report Risch released in 2020.

“In the fall of 2020, I laid out a clear plan for the Biden-Harris Administration to work with European allies and partners to confront the challenges posed by China. Nearly four years later, the administration has made virtually no progress,” said Risch. “If we are to succeed in our competition with China, the next administration must do more than the Biden-Harris Administration has. Republicans have solutions. It’s time to act.”

Key takeaways of the report include:

• Inaction from the Biden-Harris Administration has given China the ability to exploit U.S. academic research and foreign lobbying laws. Reforming university funding laws and the Foreign Agents Registration Act will allow us to better safeguard our societies.
• The Biden-Harris Administration has done little to address the vulnerabilities created by inadequate scrutiny of foreign funding to universities and think tanks.
• We must address the drivers of global democratic backsliding to help minimize China’s corrupt influence.
• The Biden-Harris Administration is embracing China on climate change cooperation which advances Chinese industry to the detriment of U.S. manufacturing and gives it a pass on its environmental mismanagement. At the same time, the administration pursues policies that hurt the U.S. energy industry, like banning liquified natural gas exports and kneecapping the U.S. mining industry’s ability to produce critical minerals.
• The Biden-Harris Administration has and continues to conduct “foreign policy by press release,” especially on AUKUS. After its big announcement three years ago we were hopeful, but very few deliverables have been met since. Good ideas are only as good as the will to implement them.
• Despite detailing a comprehensive Africa strategy, the Biden-Harris Administration has failed to prioritize the continent. The administration’s inconsistent policies on violent extremism, coups, and conflicts have left Africa more vulnerable to escalating violence and easy manipulation by Russia and China.

The scorecard in the press:

Washington Reporter:

“‘The Biden-Harris Administration has made grand announcements, but repeatedly failed to implement them,’ the report, One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: A Review of U.S.-Europe Cooperation on China reads. ‘Worse, the administration continues to pursue counterproductive policies that weaken U.S. and allied competitiveness against China.’”

“The report also issued several guidelines for future China policy, which include reversing the liquefied natural gas export ban, negotiating a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom, curbing America’s prioritization of ‘climate change to the detriment of all other U.S. strategic interests,’ and stopping the implementation of ‘the Inflation Reduction Act in ways that increase[s] U.S. reliance on China for critical minerals.’”

New York Post:

“The top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee slapped the Biden-Harris administration with a letter grade of ‘D’ on Monday for its poor cooperation with European allies and partners on countering China. Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and GOP committee staff released a 160-page report giving President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ administration a near-failing grade at halting ‘China’s efforts to bend the international order to its authoritarian ends and its pursuit of destructive political, security and economic policies.’”

“The report highlights seven ‘key areas’ where the US could be coordinating more with Europe to thwart Beijing, including at the United Nations, in Africa and the Indo-Pacific, as well as through trade, technology and other strategic investments.”

Politico China Watcher:

“Risch’s criticism included what he said is a lack of administration effort to curb Chinese government influence in U.S. political lobbying, China’s rising influence in the United Nations system and the lack of a ‘comprehensive Africa strategy’ as examples of shortcomings in the Biden’s approach to China. The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment.”

Politico National Security Daily:

“Senate Foreign Relations’ top Republican Jim Risch (R-Idaho) blasted the Biden administration’s China policy today in a lengthy report, giving the White House grades ranging from a C to a D- on seven areas. His 160-page report focuses on disinformation and democracy, the United Nations’ integrity, international trade, the technology competition, China’s strategic investments, and U.S.-Europe cooperation in Africa as well as the Indo-Pacific.”

Full text of the report can be found here.

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