New Target for Kevin McCarthy: China
Author: Greg Valliere
November 21, 2022
McCARTHY SAID YESTERDAY that he would form a select committee on China if he is elected speaker in January, accusing the Biden administration of not standing up to Beijing. “China is the No. 1 country when it comes to intellectual property theft,” he told Fox News yesterday. “We will put a stop to this and no longer allow the administration to sit back and let China do what they are doing to America,” he declared.
A VISIT TO TAIWAN? McCarthy is a staunch supporter of Taiwan; he praised Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island last spring, and reportedly is considering his own visit this winter. That could raise tensions dramatically between Beijing and Washington.
ANTIPATHY TOWARD CHINA is one of the rare issues in this city that unites the progressive left and the Trump populists. Both sides believe China spies on the U.S., treats its dissidents poorly, has not been transparent on Covid and competes unfairly on trade. Donald Trump surely will echo those themes in his campaign.
WE WERE ENCOURAGED EARLIER THIS MONTH when Presidents Biden and Xi pledged to communicate more regularly, lowering the temperature between the two countries. But the level of mistrust is enormous, and McCarthy needs issues that can increase his support from the very conservative House activists, who haven’t fully committed to voting for him in early January.
AMONG THE OTHER ISSUES McCarthy will emphasize are oversight hearings on everything from the Texas border to the Afghanistan withdrawal — and, of course, on Joe and Hunter Biden’s business activities (some conservatives want to impeach the president).
THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL — and politically risky — issue that McCarthy faces is whether to embrace modest Social Security and Medicare benefit curbs. This didn’t help the GOP in the Nov. 8 elections, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has adamantly declared that this will not be on his agenda.
BUT CHINA WILL BE ON EVERYONE’S AGENDA next year, with McCarthy latching on to an issue that could unite the fractious House. Our bottom line is that relations between the U.S. and China will stay rocky, with no major breakthroughs on issues like trade.
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