Research On The Biden Administration’s China Policy From The Perspective Of Domestic Politics

Since the onset of the 21 st century,the global political and economic landscape has experienced significant transformations,leading to unprecedented shifts in the world order.Concurrently,as China undergoes comprehensive modernization and an increase in national strength,its prominence on the international stage continues to rise.As a result,the relationship between the two global powers,China and the United States,has gained increased importance.Particularly with the Biden administration in power,China has been labeled as a "severe geopolitical challenge" for the United States,prompting the continuation and adjustment of U.S.policies towards China to re-emerge as a focal point in international relations studies.In recent years,scholars have been increasingly attentive to the influence of domestic political phenomena,such as populism and political polarization,on U.S.policy toward China.The central issue of this study is to examine how domestic political and ecological factors within the United States impact the continuity and adjustment of the Biden administration’s China policy.This paper focuses on the overall characteristics and trends of the Biden administration’s China policy as influenced by these domestic political and ecological factors.To address the core questions,this paper explores the objectives,resource dependencies,means,and measures of the Biden administration’s China policy,along with its implications and distinctive features.This approach provides a systematic domestic political research perspective to understand U.S.policy towards China and the evolving China-U.S.relations.Firstly,the paper scrutinizes the development and interrelations of American political culture,political structure,and political process,and their subsequent effects on American foreign policy.These aspects reveal the conceptual foundation,value guidance,institutional cornerstones,interest coordination,dynamic implementation,and execution process of American foreign policy.Following this,the paper embarks on a comprehensive analysis of the three fundamental goals of politics,economy,and security encompassed in a sovereign state’s foreign policy objectives and combines these with the resources the Biden administration relies on in its China policy.Utilizing the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP),the paper examines the expected outcomes of the Biden administration’s China policy at global,regional,and domestic levels,thereby unveiling the "domestic" target characteristics inherent in its foreign policy centered on "serving the middle class."Moreover,this paper analyzes the means and measures of the Biden administration’s China policy across three dimensions: technology,economy,and security.It discusses the implementation of stringent economic and trade policies against China,as well as military containment.These measures reflect the consensus within the U.S.domestic political ecology on maintaining the country’s competitive advantage over China and echo the demands of various political interest groups in the U.S.political process.In terms of specific objectives,the paper argues that changes in the U.S.domestic political ecology have led to more diversified and nuanced goals,emphasizing the protection of domestic middle-class interests and establishing mechanisms and channels for the coordination and integration of domestic and foreign affairs.These policies provide institutional safeguards to secure greater domestic political resources and electoral interests.Through an analysis of the Biden administration’s China policy objectives,resource dependencies,means,and measures,this paper finds that after more than two years of policy implementation,the Biden administration’s China policy exhibits a relatively comprehensive framework and distinct features.These features include continuous stability,intricate alliances,the "instrumentalization" of values,and systematic,refined strategic competition with China.In comparison to its predecessor,the overall competitive landscape of the Biden administration’s China policy remains fundamentally unchanged.When formulating its China policy,the Biden administration continues to emphasize U.S.leadership,revealing hegemonic thinking,and exhibiting "zero-sum thinking" throughout the policy implementation process.Simultaneously,this study assesses the Biden administration’s China policy and identifies various factors influencing and constraining it,including the domestic political structure of the United States,bipartisan opposition,interest groups,public opinion,and alliance maintenance pressure.Consequently,this paper suggests that China should maintain strategic clarity and determination when addressing the Biden administration’s China policy.It is crucial for China to accurately comprehend the impact of the US domestic political ecology on its China policy,fully recognize the persistence of the Biden administration’s strategic competition mindset,and understand the limitations of its containment measures against China.By bolstering key technologies and supply chain guarantees,fostering a favorable international and domestic public opinion environment,and solidifying national security system construction,China can enhance its comprehensive national power and international competitiveness.Supporting multilateralism and globalization,China can contribute to enduring peace and shared prosperity.