Bully pulpit lawmakers in Washington bullyragging others in bid for decoupling
After decades of economic globalization, all the open economies in the world have become tightly woven in a web of global supply chains. Following market economy rules, countries specialize in what they are good at and collaborate and exchange with others. The international division of work has reached such an extent that most people take it for granted. That a product, such as a car includes parts from multiple countries, is no longer remarkable. Because that is how the global economy works.
But not everyone likes it. Despite the White House’s repeated denial that it seeks the “decoupling” of the Chinese and US economies, some in the US Congress are working tirelessly to achieve that by trying to make sure that anything associated with China is defined as a “national security threat”. With this excuse, they are continuously extending traditional US long-arm jurisdiction. In the latest instance, as far as Switzerland.
Last week, the House Homeland Security Committee and Select Committee on China, along with two subcommittees, sent a letter to the Swiss engineering company ABB, asking the latter to provide testimony and information to clarify its China connections. Their “concerns” were about the installation of ABB equipment by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company (ZPMC) on US-bound ship-to-shore cranes.
A matter that cannot be more normal in the presentday international market has supposedly caused “significant concerns” on Capitol Hill. ZPMC is one of the world’s largest port machinery manufacturers. More important in the eyes of the US’ China hawks, it is a State-owned company as the letter indicates.
At a time when China-bashing equals political correctness in Washington, it is no surprise the hawkish politicians in Washington catch the scent of their prey in the cranes, alleging “cybersecurity risks, foreign intelligence threats, and supply chain vulnerabilities”. So they want to examine not only ABB’s commercial ties with ZPMC, but also those with US defense, intelligence and national security agencies. But they aren’t interested in whether their charges are substantiated or not. They have not waited for the requested reply, having already reached the conclusion: “Allowing ZPMC to install ABB equipment and technology in China onto cranes bound for the United States is unacceptable and must be remedied without any further delay.”
ABB has highlighted the standardized, multinational nature of its products and services. Obviously that will not sway those US lawmakers trying to sever China’s economic ties with other countries.
It is highly improbable that the US lawmakers will answer the three questions Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin raised the other day: Why does the US so obstinately accuse Chinese companies of threatening US national security without evidence? Why are such accusations always targeted at Chinese industry leaders? Why is the US coercing other countries to shut out Chinese enterprises when the latter clearly feel no threat?
In fact Wang answered those questions himself by noting that it is only Chinese exports of shirts and socks that don’t “threaten” US national security, because “what the US politicians are doing is naked bullying”.