- “For manufacturers, China has long been a hub for unfair industrial subsidies and government-fueled overcapacity in areas like steel and aluminum that distort global markets,” Monahan said.
- “China continues to promote discriminatory industrial policies, forced technology transfer and intellectual property theft that harm manufacturers and workers in the U.S. Increasingly, China is also using global institutions and its economic influence to build alliances that challenge American interests, human rights and democratic values.”
NAM leadership: The NAM has called on political leaders of both parties, in the administration and on Capitol Hill, to develop and implement a clear, robust strategy to tackle China built on these core principles. NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons urged President Biden in March 2021 to take such action, repeating the call to senior administration officials in August 2021
The recommendations: According to Monahan(NAM), the U.S. approach should include:
- A “national strategic vision [for] and bold investments” in domestic manufacturing;
- Sound engagement with allies, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region;
- “Assertive global leadership to ensure that the U.S.—not China—is writing the rules for the international system, including issues such as trade and climate”;
- Consistent pressure applied directly and with allies to ensure China meets its trade and economic commitments;
- Strategic use of “enforcement tools to target … areas of problematic Chinese trade behavior”;
- Expanded efforts to combat Chinese intellectual property theft;
- Targeted upgrades to national security frameworks; and
- Stronger collaboration between manufacturers in the United States, Congress and the executive branch “to advance American values abroad.”