Entries for February 16, 2007

"She scares the hell out of them." That's the way an American businessman, one with strong ties to the Chinese elite and a frequent traveler to Beijing, described to me how that nation's leadership views Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. But Madam Speaker shouldn't take it too personally. She probably serves as symbolic shorthand for the Democratic-controlled Congress that took power partly based on a promise to get tough on China. And it sure looks as if it intends to. Earlier this week, Pelosi and other Democratic House leaders called upon President Bush "to present to Congress within 90 days a comprehensive plan to eliminate the surging trade deficits with these 'Big Three' economies [China, Japan, and the European Union] by tearing down market access barriers and eliminating unfair trading practices that have existed for years–in some cases, decades." Also this week, Democratic Sens. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, along with Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said they were introducing legislation that would strip China of its permanent normal trade status with the United States, subjecting the trade relationship to an annual review by Congress. Brown said in a statement: