China’s Outrage Charade

China’s Foreign Ministry declared President Biden’s executive order restricting U.S. investment in Chinese technology “blatant economic coercion and tech bullying.” However, according to The National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), the Chinese government steals up to $600 billion dollars worth of U.S. intellectual property every year. China’s hypocritical outrage about a narrow and relatively light measure reflects a broader pattern of ruthless Chinese statecraft that aims to grow China’s soft power.

Most analyses of diplomatic relations between America and China present the relationship as toeing the line between advancing the U.S.’ economic interests and protecting its national security: Wall Street views China as a massive (and risky) market for Western goods and foreign investment, but the government knows that an increased American corporate presence in China will only help the Chinese military and private sector catch up to the West’s technology and expertise. Many analyses of Biden’s latest executive order use the same framework. The Wall Street Journal worried that Biden’s restrictions on high-tech investment would cause China to retaliate by limiting American access to simpler but ubiquitous “low-tech” computer chips, thus raising prices for American consumers. Their criticism, however, only supports such restrictions. Shouldn’t the U.S. enact measures like Biden’s to prevent China and other countries from holding critical goods hostage? President Biden was right to see past the misleading dichotomy between a strong economy and a safe nation. As long as products as vital to modern life as computer chips are largely controlled by the greatest threat to our national security, the American economy is neither strong nor robust.

The executive order was met with great domestic concern about Chinese retribution, but why was it such a big deal? It’s no secret that China has a long history of engaging in multiple types of espionage, infiltrating the U.S.’ military, businesses, and education system to advance its interests and steal American information. For a country that is at war with the U.S. in all senses but the literal, limited and light restrictions should be considered too little, not too much.

Opponents of the restrictions and other anti-China measures give the CCP far too much consideration. When the American government weakens its technological, physical, and foreign defenses due to these enraged outbursts, it provides an opening for the CCP to get away with a charade. However, even more concerning is the notion of equity and fairness in geopolitics heralded by progressives and, increasingly, the isolationist right. It manifests now with China’s charade: the U.S., eternally the predator imperialist, “bullies” the small, weak developing nation of China. It was present in public discussion around China’s spy balloon and a new Chinese listening post in Cuba. One Washington Post columnist even thought to wonder, ‘If the United States can spy on China, why can’t China spy on the U.S.?”

While the notion that we should be equitable to enemy nations in international dealings is absurd for a number of reasons, the basic premise that the U.S. should let dictators looking to replace or destroy America have an equal position should speak for itself. It probably would’ve been equitable to let the USSR place missiles in Cuba, but I would be surprised if many people look back and condemn JFK’s unfairness.

Through interactions like these, China has designed a lopsided international power struggle in which it has free rein to do as it wishes through semi-governmental channels of espionage, but the U.S. remains locked in an endless exercise of managing fake Chinese outrage.

Biden’s executive order is a good first step out of an otherwise mangled handling of China by his administration. As 2024 draws closer, the Biden administration may have picked up a new strategy for reelection. As most Republican candidates express worrying views on the war in Ukraine and largely avoid China as a topic, Biden has plenty of space to build off of his good performance handling Ukraine and Russia and future toughness with China.

Jack Elworth