2024 Republican Party Platform in the United States addresses two major issues regarding US-China relationship.

The Republican Party approved its 2024 platform at the national convention held from July 15 to 18, addressing two key provisions related to US-China relations. These include protecting the US from unfair trade practices with China and strengthening US capabilities to combat the Chinese Communist Party and terrorism to bring security and peace to America.

Republicans in the platform described the current state of America as a “nation in severe decline,” with the future, identity, and way of life of Americans facing unprecedented threats. They emphasized the need to rebuild America using a “common sense” approach.

Ahead of the upcoming November election, the platform outlined 20 promises ranging from border security, deporting illegal immigrants, ending inflation, tax cuts, halting job outsourcing, preventing a third world war, and modernizing the US military.

In particular, the platform detailed how the Republicans plan to fulfill their promises, with two provisions directly addressing the issues related to China in the platform.

The Republican 2024 platform explicitly states, “The Republican Party will revoke China’s ‘Most Favored Nation’ status, gradually halt imports of essential goods, and prevent China from purchasing US real estate and industries.” The platform also specifies that “preventing the import of Chinese cars” is crucial in reviving the American auto industry.

“Most Favored Nation” status, also known as “Permanent Normal Trade Relations,” allows member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to enjoy preferential tariff rates.

Revoking China’s “Most Favored Nation” status aligns with former President Trump and US Senator J.D. Vance’s advocacy. Vance was recently selected by Trump as his running mate for the vice-presidential candidacy and received formal nomination at the Republican National Convention.

Vance, known for his hawkish stance on China and as a “Chinese critic,” agrees with Trump that China’s “unfair trade practices” have harmed his home state of Ohio.

Last year, Vance, along with three other Republican senators – Tom Cotton, Rick Scott, and Ted Budd – introduced a legislation aimed at revoking China’s most favored nation status. The bill would require the president to annually determine whether to renew preferential terms in US-China trade relations based on Beijing’s human rights record and other indicators.

Revoking China’s most favored nation status will result in new higher tariffs on all Chinese imports, including a range of consumer goods that have not been targeted under existing 301 tariffs imposed by both the Trump and Biden administrations.

However, earlier this year, Trump had considered imposing a 60% tariff on all Chinese imports. In an interview with Bloomberg on July 17, Trump said, “Tariffs have two purposes. Economically, tariffs are incredible.”

By levying tariffs, Trump suggested that it would increase the US government’s revenue to offset tax cuts for the middle class, as well as boost domestic manufacturing, reduce American reliance on Chinese goods (including automobiles), and create more job opportunities for Americans.

The Biden administration also criticized China’s “predatory” trade practices on the same day, alleging it had harmed workers worldwide, and expressing skepticism about Beijing’s “reality” of improving its bad behavior.

During a speech by David Bisbee, the US Deputy Representative to the WTO, outlining concerns about China’s trade system, he stated, “Beijing operates its non-market economy in a ‘predatory’ manner. Due to its economic scale and trade volume, the People’s Republic of China holds a unique position to employ its state-directed economic approach to eliminate foreign capital competition and accumulate market power.”

In this provision, the Republican 2024 platform mentions, “Ensuring the security of the American people requires a strong America… The Republican plan is to restore peace through strength, rebuild our military and alliances, confront China, defeat terrorism, build an Iron Dome missile defense shield, promote American values, secure our homeland and borders, and revitalize our defense industrial base.”

Viewing communist China as a strategic competitor to the United States is a consensus among both parties in the US government and the public.

US Representative Nancy Mace, speaking at the Republican convention on July 17, emphasized the need for strength when dealing with communist China. Mace stated that displaying weakness in dealing with China would only embolden the Chinese Communist Party to weaken the US.

Mace is a member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, and the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

She expressed, “We are witnessing the proof of ‘peace through strength, weakness invites war.’ When the White House shows weakness, we can never project strength globally. Countries like China see our weakness as an opportunity. Chinese fentanyl enters our borders; they arm (Russia’s) Putin regime; China supports hostile countries like Iran; they oppress their own people.”

The Republican 2024 platform, without specifically mentioning “China” and “Taiwan,” stated, “We will support a strong, sovereign, and independent Indo-Pacific region, working with other countries to prosper in peace and trade together.”

The bipartisan Congressional China Task Force has long advocated for the US to make stronger commitments to Taiwan. Vice Chair of the committee, Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois, stated that giving up on Taiwan “means selling out one of the most vibrant democracies in the world to the Chinese Communist Party.”

According to reports from Politico, the “Aspen Security Forum” held on July 17 in Washington, DC, expressed concerns about the Communist China’s military rise. Retired US Army Vice Chief of Staff Jack Keane warned at the forum that China had built up a significant amount of military hardware over the past twenty years. He believed that a direct intense conflict between the US and China remained a possibility. The US’s stance and actions against China’s military expansion in the Indo-Pacific region have garnered consensus among allies.

Ursula von der Leyen, who was just re-elected as President of the European Commission, declared on July 18 that she would prevent Beijing from attacking Taiwan in her second term because the “Indo-Pacific region has become the decisive area for the future of the world.”

In her declaration titled “Europe’s Choice,” von der Leyen also stated, “We will work with Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia, facing common challenges… This includes our collective efforts to deploy comprehensive and united ways of governance to contain China’s unilateral changes through military means, especially on the Taiwan issue.” This marks von der Leyen’s clearest statement on the Taiwan issue to date.