In a collective display of pointed concern, Oregon U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have joined a group of Senate colleagues in pressuring former President Donald Trump to consider the United States' national security during trade negotiations with China. The senators' efforts crystallize in a stern letter demanding greater scrutiny and restraint regarding agreements that might play to China's advantage, effectively undercutting U.S. strength and sovereignty.
The letter, initiated by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, was not without its pertinence, coming as it does at a time when Trump's tactics have raised bipartisan eyebrows by easing U.S. export controls on semiconductors and preventing Taiwan's president from a planned U.S. stopover, while offering scant details on the compliance with a law to curb Chinese influence over TikTok. Despite his assurances of a forthcoming "really fair and really great trade deal" with China, these actions have left many legislators worried, with the senators remarking in the letter obtained by wyden.senate.gov, "You have expressed confidence that you will leave South Korea this week with a 'really fair and really great trade deal.' We urge you to understand that any deal that sacrifices America or our allies’ national security is neither."
Among the requirements posited by the group, which also includes Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Michael Bennet, Chris Coons, Andy Kim, Ben Ray Luján, Elissa Slotkin, Jacky Rosen, Gary Peters, and Brian Schatz, is a staunch rejection of Chinese attempts to weaken national security restrictions on investments within the U.S. They are also calling for the protection of the Treasury's Outbound Investment Security Program, which plays a crucial role in ensuring U.S. firms are not inadvertently contributing to the development of sensitive technologies in adversary countries like China.
Crucially, the senators also requested that President Trump steadfastly deny President Xi any concession that would signal a U.S. opposition to Taiwan's independence. The implications of such diplomatic moves are not lost on the concerned senators, with the group asserting in a statement, "We are deeply disturbed by your recent statements and actions, which indicate that you are all too willing to sacrifice these vital national security tools for empty promises and illusory ‘wins, ’" as mentioned on wyden.senate.gov. These pointed words reflect a deepening apprehension amongst U.S. lawmakers regarding the former president's approach to foreign policy and trade, particularly with a nation so pivotally contrasted to U.S. interests as China.
The full letter, which spells out the concerns and demands of the senators in greater detail, can be found on the official website of Senator Wyden.
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