Opinion | Keeping US doors open to Chinese imports and investment need not compromise national security
- The US must recognise the benefits to American workers from trade and investment with China and understand that the bulk of US-China economic engagement is irrelevant to national security concerns
- Even in sectors where there may be potential risks, Washington has tools to mitigate them
But debates in Washington over the right level of openness towards China are nowhere near settled. Many Trump-era barriers remain in place, and even more are being discussed in Congress.
To coexist and compete with China, the US needs to be clearheaded about how to balance the dual needs of economic growth and security. Finding this balance will not be easy, but there are steps we can take to make the challenge easier.
The next step is understanding that, despite the rhetoric, the bulk of US-China economic engagement is irrelevant to national security concerns. It is easy to forget that the top five categories of US imports from China are consumer goods: computers, cellphones, furniture, toys, and other plastics. These goods alone comprise a third of US imports from China.