America Needs Unity on China

Joshua Eisenman, Devin Stewart

Politics, Asia

Washington cannot afford to let rival powers divide America along partisan lines.

Calling for unity and comity may seem quaint in America’s current political environment, but bipartisanship is now vital once again on U.S. policy toward China. “Dunking” on domestic political opponents on social media provides a short-term thrill, yet it has consequences as it also deepens social divisions in ways that make America vulnerable to China’s ongoing efforts to influence U.S. politics and society. 

While most Americans imagine that conflict with China will resemble a high-tech version of World War II, Beijing is already waging a new, irregular type of warfare. Indeed, there is evidence of a “systems level” competition between the United States and China that constitutes a new type of Cold War. This conflict includes covert, ambiguous weapons such as influence campaigns, propaganda, cyberwar, intellectual property theft, industrial espionage, election meddling, political bribery, and surveillance on American soil.