Foreign Policy and Defense

Economic ties with China

32 public statements from 2026 candidates · 7 related bills

§1The range of views

Why this matters: These limits affect prices, jobs, businesses and national security.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

How far the US should go in limiting trade, investment and sales of advanced technology, such as computer chips, between the US and China.

  1. Cut most trade, investment and technology ties with China
  2. Limit ties in sensitive areas, such as advanced chips and military technology, while keeping other trade
  3. Ease restrictions and expand trade with China

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Statements that don't match one option (32)

  • Robert B. Aderholt AL-4
    His campaign website says the U.S. should rely less on China for military, medical and security needs and should expand domestic manufacturing to reduce imports from China.1
  • Robb Tucker CA-3
    His campaign website calls for rebuilding domestic production of critical defense materials, medicines, energy equipment and strategic minerals to end dependence on the Chinese Communist Party.2
  • Scott Wiener CA-11
    His campaign website says the United States can protect its interests without escalating conflict with China, should compete by investing in domestic chip manufacturing, AI and clean energy, and should keep its existing policy toward Taiwan.3
  • Derek Tran CA-45
    His campaign website says he has supported measures to counter Chinese aggression and championed efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains and guard against unfair trade practices.4
  • Adam Withrow CO Senate
    His campaign website says there is no benefit to trying to contain China and that the United States would be better served doing business with it as an equal.5
  • Melat Kiros CO-1
    Her platform says competition with China need not become conflict, and supports continued diplomatic engagement, cooperation on climate and AI governance, and trade policy that protects American workers without a trade war.6
  • Christopher Mitchell CO-5
    His campaign website says he would introduce legislation to limit, and in some cases end, U.S. businesses' and universities' ability to transfer technology and capital to China.7
  • Joe Strada FL-11
    His campaign website calls for standing up to China to protect American jobs, supply chains, farmland, technology and national security.8
  • Carlos A. Gimenez FL-28
    His official House website says he supports decoupling the United States and its allies from China in five areas (national security, economy and energy, competitiveness, ideology and technology), and supports incentives to bring American companies back from China, especially in industries tied to national security and public health, such as pharmaceutical supply chains and protective equipment.9,10
  • James "Jim" Kingston GA-1
    His campaign website says his foreign policy would confront threats like Iran, Russia and China, including by cutting dependence on Chinese manufacturing for critical goods and stopping the theft of intellectual property.11
  • Ashley Hinson IA Senate
    Her campaign website says she would hold China accountable for taking American jobs and innovation, buying American farmland and using unfair trade practices.12
  • Chris McGowan IA-4
    His campaign website says he will join the administration in standing up to China, bringing jobs back to America and restoring energy independence.13
  • Darin LaHood IL-16
    His campaign website says he wrote rules that ban China and other foreign adversaries from collecting American clean energy tax credits, and that he voted to hold China, Iran and Russia accountable on the global stage.14
  • Jefferson Shreve IN-6
    His campaign website says he backs legislation that protects U.S. technology and pushes back against the Chinese Communist Party.15
  • André Carson IN-7
    His campaign website says engagement with China is necessary in areas such as trade, climate change and global health, and that the U.S. should also counter its military buildup, hold it accountable for intellectual property theft, cyberattacks and unfair trade practices, and reduce dependence on it by keeping U.S. manufacturing and technology competitive.16
  • Andy Barr KY Senate
    His campaign website says he helped pass a law cutting off American investment in Chinese military, surveillance and technology companies, and led the STOP Chinese Fentanyl Act, which it says sanctions those involved in fentanyl production in China.17
  • Michael Echols LA-5
    His campaign website says Congress should push back on unfair Chinese trade practices by enforcing fair trade rules, protecting American intellectual property and preventing hostile foreign governments from buying strategic land near military bases or critical infrastructure.18
  • John Moolenaar MI-2
    His campaign website says that as chair of the House Select Committee on China he has worked to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable, citing efforts that include stopping the Chinese-linked Gotion project in Michigan. It also says Chinese companies and other adversaries should not be allowed to build data centers in local communities or use existing ones to undermine the economy and national security.19,20
  • Hillary Scholten MI-3
    Her campaign website says Michigan should invest in its semiconductor manufacturing capability and the country should stand up to China when it threatens the global supply chain.21
  • Tom Barrett MI-7
    His campaign website says he will stand firm against giving taxpayer dollars to Chinese corporations and describes China as the country's top economic adversary.22
  • Kristen McDonald Rivet MI-8
    Her campaign website says she fights to make sure things are made in Michigan and to stand up to China.23
  • Peggy Flanagan MN Senate
    Her campaign website says she supports cracking down on countries such as China that it says use unfair trade practices to undercut American workers and Minnesota businesses.24
  • Rick Brattin MO-5
    His campaign website says that in Congress he will hold China accountable and work to reduce dependence on Chinese goods.25
  • Michael A. Chiaradio MS-3
    His campaign website says the United States should not treat China as an adversary, should build communication including military-to-military dialogue, should compete while cooperating, and should avoid manipulating trade deals or isolating competitors.26
  • Mike Ezell MS-4
    His campaign website says he wants to bring jobs in critical supply chains back to the United States from China.27
  • Alani Bankhead MT Senate
    Her campaign website says China should be treated as both an adversary and a partner, with rules against cheating enforced but no trade war.28
  • Pete Ricketts NE Senate
    His campaign website calls China a threat and says he introduced legislation to limit China's ability to use tax incentives meant for American citizens.29
  • Mike Flood NE-1
    His campaign website lists standing up to China among his issues, calling it one of the country's greatest threats and saying he worked to keep Chinese technology off Nebraska cell towers.30
  • Anthony DiLorenzo NH-1
    His campaign website lists opposing what it describes as Chinese efforts to undermine the U.S. currency, take U.S. technology and buy U.S. land and infrastructure among his priorities.31
  • Justin Murphy NJ Senate
    His campaign website says he would put tariffs on goods made in China, expel Chinese diplomats and close Chinese consulates, and withhold federal aid from colleges that take money from Chinese companies and universities.32
  • Kevin Hern OK Senate
    His campaign website says he introduced the Combatting Communist China Act to reduce U.S. supply-chain dependence on China, prevent theft of intellectual property and hold China accountable for fentanyl trafficking.33
  • Mark R. Warner VA Senate
    His campaign website says he has led bipartisan efforts to counter the Chinese government's technological and economic actions, including securing supply chains and restricting foreign investments that threaten national security.34

§3Related bills

Why this matters: Bills from 2023–2026 that bear on this issue, with how Congress handled them.