How the Commerce Department became central to the U.S.’s China policy.
Illustration by Luis Grañena
Last May, Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a highly-anticipated speech that finally outlined the Biden administration’s China policy. Amidst talk of ‘decoupling’ and the ‘death of engagement,’ Blinken described the administration’s approach to China succinctly: invest in America, align with allies, and compete with China when necessary.
It was a well-received speech, but Gina Raimondo, the Secretary of Commerce, still sensed there was something missing.
According to Elizabeth Economy, a China scholar who is serving as senior advisor on China in the Commerce Department, Raimondo felt that “there was a need for the administration to lay out more clearly its economic and its competitiveness strategy with regard to China.” So, with Economy’s help, Raimondo gave a speech at MIT last November outlining her department’s approach towards China policy and showing explicitly what invest, align and compete looks like in action.
The Commerce Depa
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