They have more people. Until we do, too, it will be hard to contain Beijing.
One of the only Trump-era policy initiatives to secure bipartisan support has been the president’s decision to reverse America’s “engagement” with China and instead try to decouple the world’s two largest economies. Both parties see an emerging strategic competitor as China lifts its gross domestic product and productivity, recruits allies, silences political opponents, and tries to absorb semiautonomous territories like Taiwan and Hong Kong. One of the greatest conundrums in Washington is how U.S. officials can counterbalance Beijing’s rise.
At the same time, President Trump has been pursuing an immigration policy supported by only his own party, seeking to foreclose the flow not just of undocumented migrants but also those who come here legally.
These two policies are at odds with each other. The best way to ensure that the United States maintains the upper hand against China is easy: It can welcome more of the tens of millions around the world who’d like to move to our shores — not as an act of charity but as an exertion of national power. To compete, we need more people. Continue reading.