08/21/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/21/2024 12:48
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:
The scorecard in the press:
"'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.'"
"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."
"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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