Explainer | US election: from Montana to Florida, everyone’s talking about China
- As Trump and Biden spar over who would be tougher on Beijing, candidates across the country have also campaigned on the issue
- Talking points include China’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the trade gap, and Chinese influence in America
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Final US presidential debate for Trump and Biden covers Covid-19, China and ‘thug’ Kim
Montana
In Montana, one issue is just how strong Republican Senator Steve Daines’ record on China has been.
His Democratic opponent, Montana Governor Steve Bullock, has criticised Daines for his work in the 1990s for US consumer giant Procter & Gamble in China, during which four American factories were closed. The company said Daines was not involved in the decision to close the plants, and that the job losses were not related to its China expansion.
Also under scrutiny was Daines’ efforts to end China’s decades-long ban on US beef imports, and his leading of Congressional delegations to Beijing. Montana Democrats have released attack ads describing Daines as “China’s cheerleader”.
Daines for his part has touted his efforts to “hold China accountable for its coronavirus lies” and work to bring overseas jobs back to the US, including by supporting a draft bill for sanctions against Chinese companies and students in the US if China does not sufficiently help stop the coronavirus.
He said in an election debate in August that he had worked at P&G to “market and sell great American brands” to “beat Chinese brands”, and pointed to his success in selling Montana beef to China.