The new US Secretary of Commerce, who was auditioned Tuesday, January 26 in the Senate for her confirmation, signaled her intention to remain firm and even «agressive» towards China, deploring the unfair trade practices of the Asian giant.
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Gina Raimondo, Rhode Island’s first female governor, said China had “Clearly engaged in anti-competitive behavior”, citing dumping in the steel and aluminum sector, “Which has harmed American workers”. “Therefore, if I am confirmed, I plan to be very aggressive, to help the Americans to fight against the unfair practices of China”, she added. However, she endorsed Joe Biden’s position that the United States was not willing to go it alone and would consult with its allies to restore fair trade with Beijing.
While elected Republican and Democratic officials have signaled that some Chinese companies represent a risk to national security, Gina Raimondo has however not committed to keeping the giant Huawei or other Chinese companies on the American blacklist. She simply promised to use the powers of the Commerce Department “To protect Americans and our network against Chinese interference”, adding: “It’s Huawei, ZTE or any other company”.
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Under the Trump administration, the Commerce Department, headed by Wilbur Ross, had used its prerogatives extensively to crack down on Chinese tech companies suspected of industrial espionage or compromising US national security. He had thus extended the list of companies which cannot trade with American companies without a prior license. Dozens of companies have been added to the Commerce Department’s list, including telecom giants like Huawei and ZTE. In December, a few weeks before his departure, the Trump administration added Chinese computer chip maker Smic, restricting the company’s access to high-end American technologies due to its alleged links with the Chinese military. .
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