Mark R. Kennedy
American Leadership
US - China Relations
Research Focus
Compete where we must and cooperate where we can, with a focus on deterring conflict.
Events and Publications
US Postal Service briefly suspends inbound packages from China
Mark Kennedy, director of the Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition at the Wilson Center, said the suspension of deliveries presents unprecedented difficulties. "This is not something they've done before. It's not an easy task. It'll be a big challenge for them to adapt to this change," he said. Kennedy predicted a backlog in processing all the additional packages requiring scrutiny. "They're going to ultimately need to collect this tariff from either the retailer that's shipping it or the person that is receiving it," he told VOA. "Many are worried that some of the products created by slave labor using Uyghurs in Xinjiang province are coming through here, and the textile industry has been complaining that this is costing them jobs," said Kennedy, referring to the autonomous territory in northwestern China. Congress is now likely to reverse direction and lower the dollar amount for the exemption, said Kennedy, a former Republican congressman from the state of Minnesota.
What Do Trump’s First Weeks Tell Us About His China Strategy?
“Does the Trump administration really think this is an urgent epochal competition?” as Robert Daly, director of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Washington-based Wilson Center, put it during [the Wahba Institute's "Strategic Competition in the Second Trump Administration" event]
Biden "Says Goodbye" Xi Jinping: What's Troublesome in U.S.-China Relations?
"Mark Kennedy pointed out that if China is willing to further cooperate on fentanyl control, the United States will welcome it. But other major deals are unlikely, especially as the United States is about to undergo a regime transition."
EMPHASIZING COMPETING WITH CHINA RATHER THAN CONFLICT, BIDEN DISCUSSED U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS IN HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
"Perhaps in response to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's recent remarks about the United States' lack of confidence, President Biden insists that it is the United States that is rising," Kennedy told VOA via email. "As the People's Republic of China seeks to disengage from U.S. technology, President Biden emphasizes that the United States is investing more in research and development than ever before thanks to the CHIP and Science Act. Amid declining foreign direct investment in the People's Republic of China, President Biden emphasizes that the United States' progress in clean energy and advanced manufacturing attracted $650 billion in private sector investment'."
