U.S. Congress and China: Brace Yourself

The United states Congress reopened Tuesday after the long summer recess. Speaking to people who follow this in Washington and Beijing, it's pretty clear it is going to be a rough few months for China. The food safety issue is a natural for populist hysteria and some members of Congress will definitely rise--or lower themselves--to the occasion. A congressional delegation that wrapped up a visit to China on August 28th hinted at what is to come. The group was led by Mark Steven Kirk and Rick Larsen, who are considered the reasonable guys compared to many of their colleagues. Here's what they said on leaving, thanks to Reuters:

"We're going to have some dramatic times ahead, I think, on food and product safety," said Kirk. Larsen declined to say what measures he thought China should take in response to the recent crisis, but called on Beijing to understand the gravity of the problem -- and the need for action by Congress.

"It's visceral. It's about your child and it's about your pet, and it's about food on the table. You can't get more personal than that for Americans, and so it does need to be addressed," he said.

Children and pets. Every PR person's nightmare combo. "The Chinese know it's coming but they have no idea how bad it's going to be," one Washington China-type said glumly a couple of days ago. He went on to say almost exactly the same thing about the China-Darfur campaign, which is about to swing into high gear. Chinese officials likely think they have made some pretty big concessions culminating in signing onto the U.N. resolution that mandated a peacekeeping force. But the top campaigners are already saying the resolution is being ignored and the killing is continuing. As well as lobbying in Washington, where the food safety thing will make it easier to find ears receptive to a bit of Panda slugging (see a sample from a convert here), they intend to focus on Olympic sponsors like Coca-Cola, GE and Johnson and Johnson, many of whom have committed up to $100 million already. If things really deteriorate --and an upsurge in fighting that would flood the media with harrowing pictures and videos is by no means unlikely--sponsors have got to be reconsidering or at least drawing up contingency plans. After all, who wants to have their name--brand-- with genocide, which is what Eric Reeves, the Smith University professor who started all this says will happen as the campaign gains momentum.

And there's plenty more ammo for those Panda bashers, of course. There's the issue of the value of the yuan against the dollar, poorly understood and actually not at all cut and dried solution to the trade deficit but also a reliable stick to beat China with, particularly in the long twilight of this most lame of administrations. And human rights and Tibet, too. All in all, it will be a very bumpy ride for China-U.S. relations in the coming months.