States are taking on issues with China, but is it at the expense of our national foreign policy goals?
Tension is growing this week — not just on American college campuses, but also far away in the disputed South China Sea, where the Philippines has accused China’s coast guard of harassing and damaging one of its vessels.
America’s current approach to China is to be somewhat tough on our “strategic competitor” as we try to navigate hot-button issues from tariffs to Taiwan, making the relationship precarious. This latest incident puts more pressure on that relationship.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in China last week for face-to-face talks on trade, fentanyl and the military challenges of Chinese support for Ukraine and its aggressive behavior in the South China Sea.
Having China as a competitor is not new. What is new is that Washington now has competition from within America as various states and cities form their own foreign policy approaches to China — often at odds with each other.
Take California: In recent months, San Francisco Mayor London Breed made a week-long visit to China where she practiced a bit of “panda diplomacy,” securing an agreement to borrow a couple of those adorable furry black and white bears — a great use of foreign travel.
Next up was a trip to China by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom — the first trip there by a U.S. governor in four years. Understandably, California sees China as an ally, given its geography and the large presence of Chinese immigrants; about 15 percent of the state hail from Asia. But his trip went beyond pandas into the thorny issues of trade.
Trade is a complex issue that the Biden administration is trying to handle, including tariffs on certain goods in the high-tech industry, where competition over artificial intelligence is keen. President Biden has also called for raising tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum from China. What and how goods and services move between the two nations is a high-level topic.
When a state negotiates with a foreign power, things can get messy.
Among the issues California leaders are pressing for are more direct flights between San Francisco and Chinese cities. But recently unions representing U.S. pilots and flight attendants published a letter in opposition to the addition of U.S.-China routes because of unfavorable practices, such as the freedom of Chinese airlines to fly over Russian airspace.
Now take Florida. In comparison to California, Florida is offering China the big chill. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed multiple bills to “crack down on Communist China.” He has enacted laws that stop Chinese firms from doing business in the state. Going farther than any federal bans on Chinese products, DeSantis is stopping Chinese companies from buying agricultural land in Florida. He is also limiting educational ties between China and his state.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has restricted Ford Motor company from setting up a battery venture because its partner was a Chinese company.
Other U.S. states are formulating their own foreign policy agendas related to climate, immigration and trade. Often these relationships go beyond citizen engagement or people-to-people diplomacy, which should be encouraged.
Take drone policy — another tricky area where individual states have policies that clash with federal foreign policy. Law enforcement agencies around the country are fans of using drones made by a Chinese company, DJL. But the U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments view them as a national security threat. Congress is considering legislation that would severely curtail the company’s sales.
There are limits to what states can do vis-à-vis foreign affairs. The Constitution gives the federal government the primary power to manage U.S. foreign relations in Article I, Section 10, which prohibits states from engaging in a set of activities that relate to international affairs. The U.S. Supreme Court has further illuminated this distinction, describing the United States’s foreign affairs power “not only as superior to the states but residing exclusively in the national government.”
The United States has, to its credit, often encouraged mayors and governments to be engaged in foreign affairs. During the Obama administration, the United States had a Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs, headed by Reta Jo Lewis, now the top official at the Export-Import Bank. The mission was to build and support strategic relations between the federal government, state and local leaders and their foreign counterparts, and it did great things for America.
Shortly after taking office, Biden embraced the role that cities and states can play in transnational issues like climate change, global health, trade and migration, creating an office of subnational diplomacy within the State Department.
Unforeseen, perhaps, was the vast partisan divide that would come to strain relationships between the federal government and states and the deep polarization within Congress. Even before a national ban on TikTok was considered, in 2023 state lawmakers passed 11 bills banning the social media platform.
What might have been a positive, productive engagement of states with global affairs has turned into a tussle, as with so many domestic issues like abortion and gun control. The result is often confidence in one state at the expense of another, which can undermine national affairs.
America needs to act, at times, with one voice to convey a set of values, policies and strategic interests, be it policy toward China or climate change. If we fracture along too many fissures in city or state interests, we lose our ability to exercise national power and provide openings for other countries to take advantage of our differences. As Catherine the Great once said, “Power without a nation’s confidence is nothing.”
Tara D. Sonenshine is a senior nonresident fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
Date: |
Filter
-
The right US-China policy prioritizes collaboration despite competition
Conflict and hostility currently dominate the China discourse.The Hill - Politics -
Annual Memorial Day ceremony to take place at the Florence National Cemetery
Yahoo News - World -
Republicans Force Democrats to Take Sides on Biden's Israel Policy
House Republicans passed a bill Thursday that would force the U.S. government to resume paused weapons shipments to Israel.The Wall Street Journal - World -
This Designer’s Goal Is Honoring the Stone
Ming Lampson focuses on finding and showcasing exceptional gems.The New York Times - Lifestyle -
Minister broke rules on expenses, watchdog finds
The MP for Blackpool North has agreed to pay back £1,367 for use of a state-of-the-art printer.BBC News - Top stories -
Business locked in expensive AI 'arms race'
Business leaders feel pressure to invest in AI but the costs are formidable.BBC News - Top stories -
Will the 2024 Democratic National Convention mirror the 1968 protests?
A coalition of pro-Palestinian activists is vowing to march without a permit during August's Democratic National Convention in Chicago. In 1968, demonstrators protested the DNC, also held in Chicago that year, over U.S. involvement in the Vietnam ...CBS News - Top stories -
Activists sue Russia over ‘weak’ climate policy
Russian constitutional court is considering claim, which activists hope will raise awareness about emissions. A group of activists are fighting for the right to scrutinise Russia’s climate policies, and in particular its enormous methane ...The Guardian - World - Climate -
Trade policy is the new front in the US presidential election
Also in today’s newsletter, how Ray Dalio is thinking about the electionFinancial Times - World -
Nikkei Falls 0.3%, Dragged by Tech, Chemical Stocks
The Nikkei Stock Average closed 0.3% lower at 38787.38 as falls in tech and chemical stocks offset gains in auto and bank shares.The Wall Street Journal - World
More from The Hill
-
House panels vote to hold Garland in contempt
Two House committees on Thursday advanced measures to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress in an effort to censure him for failing to turn over audio recordings of the president. A last-minute move from President Biden to ...The Hill - Politics -
Chaos erupts in hearing as Greene, Ocasio-Cortez clash over ‘fake eyelashes’ jibe at Crockett
A House Oversight Committee hearing devolved into chaos Thursday night as Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) clashed after the firebrand Republican accused Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) of wearing “fake ...The Hill - Politics -
Swalwell slams GOP lawmakers for going to see Trump trial
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) went after his GOP colleagues who traveled to New York City to appear at former President Trump’s criminal trial this week. The California Democrat specifically took it to his colleagues who skipped a hearing Thursday ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
California bill that would have banned selling anti-aging skin products to young kids fails to advance
A bill in California that sought to ban the sale of anti-aging skin products to young kids failed to advance through the California State Assembly on Thursday. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Alex Lee, prohibited kids under 13 from buying ...The Hill - Politics - California -
Fox anchor applauds Kansas City Chiefs kicker's controversial remarks
Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham applauded Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker on Thursday after he gave controversial speech including remarks on women in the workforce. Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College made clear his ...The Hill - Politics - NFL