A New Role of Congress in the U.S.-China Relations

Democrats are eager to change courses or turn the page even before President Bush leaves the White House office. From Armenia to Columbia, from Iraq to China, Democrats dominated Congress tried to distance itself from the executive branch's position. Weakened by failed domestic and international policies, the Bush's administration is a lame duck, silenced or overwhelmed by the Democratic congressional leaders as well as presidential candidates including John McCain. Leaving presidential campaign aside, an assertive congress apparently is determined to challenge the president's policies. On the one hand, Democrats want to benefit from their political dissidence in the time of important elections, but on the other hand, both parties also want to reestablish the power of Congress in the policy making process so that whoever the next president is, he or she would have to succumb to the will of the Congress. Congress has been deprived of its power since 9/11 and in the name of national security or war on terror. Many believe that the American enterprise has been hijacked by the wealth, contractors and their lobbyists. Losing support in the Congress, even some Republicans have to cave in to the rising demand of the American working class now. Therefore, the Republican neo-conservatist adventurism is converting into blunt human rightist opportunism. Nancy Pelosi is just the one who represents this "change" in the U.S. policy towards China and the world. When they talk about the corruption in Washington D.C., as if they were not part of it, they only accuse the Republicans as being influenced by the lobbyists, but actually, many in the Congress have their own agenda, inserted by lobbyists from other countries or interest groups. In this case, Pelosi is the one heavily bought by the Tibetan lobbyists who as it turns out, have been working over the Congress for two decades.
Yes, the Democrats reformed the Congress and make it harder for companies to influence it, but on the other hand, the so called grass roots are empowered to do the same thing, only under the name of being more democratic. These GR groups includes human rights groups, environmental groups, and trade unions (and of course more big companies). The policy outcome? do your own math. The imaginable disastrous scenario would be a weak new president, either battered by inner party primary or disputable domestic and foreign policy, bullied and incapacitated by the Congress. The disordered American foreign policy would flood the public with biased images and reinforced ideologies, reducing policy options and closing room for diplomatic maneuver. It is particularly harmful to the delicate relations between the U.S. and China in a time of geopolitical transformation, making unexpected conflict much more likely.
We have to call for both sides to act quickly in order to avoid such prospect and at the same time hope for a new president who carries the firm mandate of the American people and understands the complexity of the issue at hand.