Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo hinted that China's own self-interest ought to inform a better relationship with the United States.
Raimondo appeared on MSNBC's Meet the Press on Sunday to detail the strategy behind encouraging China "to be less antagonistic" toward U.S. business. However, she expressed some hope that Chinese officials would see the facts and understand they would benefit as well.
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"It’s clearly true, the facts speak for themselves on this one, that when China was more market-oriented and reform-minded, their economy — you know, they lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty," Raimondo said. "It’s that it does seem to be true that it’s in their self-interest to be less antagonistic to U.S. business."
The commerce secretary referenced President Joe Biden's executive order to rein in investments into Chinese development of military-grade semiconductors, including not selling the most sophisticated American-made chips to China.
"We are not going to, currently on my watch, we are not going to sell the most sophisticated American chip to China that they want for their military capacity," Raimondo said. "Well, we are trying to choke their military capacity, so if they feel that, that means the strategy is working."
Additionally, she promised the U.S. wouldn't do business with any company that would sell the chips to China. Biden's order already requires U.S. investors to disclose any previous transactions they may have had with Chinese businesses involved in the three industries.
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Despite Raimondo's insistence, Republicans have criticized its effectiveness. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) alleged that the executive order is too narrowly focused. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has argued that the order "fails to include industries China’s government deems critical."
The White House already blocked the sale of some of Nvidia's highest-grade microchips in the Middle East due to worries that they would get to China.