[War] US: The China Policy

[John Penta]

"The China Policy"
1 September 2014
Pres. John Williams
USA
================
<Washington>

     "They expect...a China strategy...all on my own." John Williams
said this with more than a little amusement in his voice.

"Hey, you -are- the guy who agreed to take the top job," noted Rob
Beiler, his Chief of Staff.

"Yes, but that's a simply insane request."

"It's the White House," Beiler began.

"THE WEIRD SHIT'S OUR JOB!" finished POTUS, the Chief of Staff, and
the Cabinet, laughing.

Monday mornings were the times for Cabinet meetings in the Williams
Administration. Unlike in most Administrations, he'd come to actually
use full, formal Cabinet meetings to gather opinions. Not just pro
forma meetings, but regular meetings of the full cabinet, Some were
conducted virtually, over the secure networks that connected the
Cabinet departments. Every so often, though, they met in person, in
the Cabinet Room, around the long mohagony table.

"Okay, with that reminder for all of us," Williams continued, "China
does need a coherent strategy, across the government. I don't expect
it to be decided here, though. Instead, I want ideas on how to begin a
process for *finding* a strategy."

"Key points:

"One: Any such strategy must have bipartisan support. Insofar, because
I get the same polling data as everybody else, as the parties still
matter...I want there to be -one- strategy, that'll last whether my
successor comes in 2017 or 2021, regardless of who it is. Don't think
a 'Williams Doctrine', think a rerun of NSC-68.

"Two: Any strategy will use -all- levers of US power. Diplomatic,
military, economic, technological.

"Three: We. Are. Not. Intrisically. Hostile. To. China. No, I do not
like President Hong much. But we can never afford to build a policy
based on considerations such as who, precisely, is in power on either
side.

"That said, I would regard them, dispassionately, as a strategic
competitor at a minimum. At most, a potential near-peer rival for
influence in the global system.

"Four: I do not at present anticipate a change to the One China policy.

"With that said, I throw the discussion open to the Cabinet. This
discussion is conducted under the usual rules."
***

Eventually, a decision was made. The Cabinet didn't know -what- to
make of China's recent actions, so it did the timeless Washington
thing: Hand it off to a committee.

Working with Congress, there would be established an informal
commission, members appointed by both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Commission would, in secrecy, examine all aspects of the US's
China policy - nothing would be off-limits. It would be a continuous
process - the Commission would be a watchdog over the evolution of
American policy on the PRC, using its influence on the Washington
debate to keep DC's eye on the ball.

First up would be the writing of a report, due to the new Congress in
January, on the general outlines of US-China relations - in dhort,
what was it believed that the general American outlook towards China
should be, based on current indications? Were they agreed to be a
threat? The other side in a new Cold War?

The report would, in tandem, propose legislative and statutory
measures to align US policy with the outlook that followed from the
consensus opinion of the panel.

Next would be reports focusing on, respectively, the military,
diplomatic, economic, and other responses to Chinese activities.

The idea was not, it would be emphasized, to develop policies for
right now - rather, the idea was to bring "official Washington" to
some form of agreement about what to do over the long-term, in a
strategic sense.

It'd still be a political issue - nobody was naive enough to think it
wouldn't be. But, hopefully, it'd at least create a common footing.
---
Actions:
1. Commission on Relations with the PRC to be created, to report as above.
2. General principles of the commission's remit stated, as well as
general principles for the US-China relationship.
3. Work with Congress on appointing members and otherwise establishing
the Commission.