Tell Congress to focus on public health and helping Americans hurt by the economic crisis instead.
Editor’s note: AAM President Scott Paul sent this important message to our supporters on Friday. We encourage you to read it, and then join us in taking action.
I can’t believe I have to write this letter.
Our country is facing a tremendous crisis as we try to stop the spread of COVID-19. So many Americans already are suffering, either from the devastating health impacts of the virus or the unprecedented shutdowns that have led to mass layoffs and business closures across industries.
Our country’s leaders should be focused on mitigating the virus and providing support to Americans now facing economic ruin. But some in Washington are doing the opposite and instead are determined to help China’s authoritarian government.
These special interest groups are leading an effort to weaken trade enforcement measures put into place several years ago to address China’s longtime trade cheating. But doing so wouldn’t do anything to help the everyday Americans suffering right now. Instead, it would only help line the pockets of these interest groups who want to import cheaper products – that, in many cases, are produced via forced labor¹ – and hand China’s government an easy victory.
Tell your Members of Congress: Focus on COVID-19, not helping China’s authoritarian regime!
Researchers at Horizon Advisory just released a report finding that China’s government is aiming to use this global pandemic as a way to further its global interests². While much of the world is focused on trying to stop the spread of the virus, China’s officials are looking to seize global supply chains, dominate future industries, and even drive a wedge between the U.S. and its European allies.
This isn’t some vast conspiracy theory. China’s government officials are stating these goals in public!
Trade enforcement measures put into place provide the U.S. with critical leverage to address China’s litany of trade cheating and other abuses. Getting rid of them now would allow China to gain the upper hand. Why would the U.S. purposely do this, especially during this crisis?
Scott Paul
President
Alliance for American Manufacturing
¹Australian Strategic Policy Institute (2020), Uyghurs for sale, Retrieved from https://www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-sale
²Horizon Advisory (2020), Viral Moment: China's Post-COVID Planning, Retrieved from https://www.horizonadvisory.org/news/coronavirus-series-report-launch-viral-moment-chinas-post-covid-planning