U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a report today titled “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: A Review of U.S.-Europe Cooperation on China.” This document follows Risch’s 2020 report that highlighted areas where the United States should collaborate with European allies to address challenges posed by China.
“In November 2020, I published a report on the importance of the United States and our European partners working together to counter an increasingly confrontational China. Nearly four years later, China’s efforts to undermine prosperity, security, and good governance in every region of the globe continue to be what I consider the most important foreign policy challenge of our time,” said Risch.
“This updated report looks at the progress, or lack thereof, made by the Biden-Harris Administration on implementing these recommendations and proposes additional steps that must be taken to defend transatlantic security and prosperity. If we are to succeed in confronting China, the next administration must do more than the Biden-Harris Administration has over the last four years. We cannot afford to wait,” Risch concluded.
The full text of this report is available online.
Key findings from this report include:
– U.S. and European inaction allows China to exploit academic research and foreign lobbying laws. Reform is needed for university funding laws and the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
– The Biden-Harris Administration lacks a trade agenda; the U.S.-EU Trade & Technology Council is deemed ineffective. The Inflation Reduction Act has strained transatlantic relations and maintains dependency on Chinese supply chains.
– The administration prioritizes climate cooperation with China while restricting liquified natural gas exports to allies and limiting domestic mining for critical minerals.
– Diverging policies between U.S. and Europe on strategic technologies like artificial intelligence are attributed to a lack of U.S. leadership; intellectual property rights have also been undermined at the World Trade Organization.
– Accusations of “foreign policy by press release” particularly target AUKUS; three years post-announcement, no significant reforms or outcomes have been observed.
– Policy missteps by the administration are linked to escalating violence and instability in Africa; inadequate coordination between U.S. and Europe opens opportunities for influence by China and Russia.
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