Eight months in, Joe Biden’s China policy still lacks definition
- Lack of clarity around the US-China policy review process has spurred confusion and uncertainty in the business, analyst and military contractor communities
- Any major difference from Trump administration stance has been hard to discern
The lack of clarity around the review process has spurred confusion and uncertainty in the business, analyst and military contractor communities. One well-connected analyst said that the exercise was limited to more targeted analyses covering trade, tech and the now-completed review of defence policy.
“I’ve been told there is no comprehensive China review. It’s a myth!” the analyst said, requesting anonymity given current links to the administration. “Reviews are only on specific issues.”
Others said it may not be labelled a comprehensive review, but a de facto road map is being drafted, a necessary step to drive and coordinate various government agencies and distinguish Biden’s approach from Trump’s. So far, any major difference has been hard to discern.
“It’s not that it’s necessarily going to be documented for public release on who’s doing what,” said Michael Hirson, Asia head for Eurasia Group and a former US financial attaché in China. “But it’s at least a coordinated plan under the White House, some strategy that the White House will be keen to at least have in place so they don’t have different agencies working at cross purposes.”