Should the U.S. Decouple from China?

Open to Debate

Education, Society & Culture, News, Government, Politics

4.5 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 25 April 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For decades, China has been central for global supply chains and a primary U.S. trade partner, but as China’s influence grows, should the U.S. cut economic ties, or stay engaged? Those in favor of decoupling say it is vital for protecting national security and reducing reliance on China’s supply chains. Those against decoupling argue doing so would harm U.S. businesses, stall innovation, and deepen global divides. Now we debate: Should the U.S. Decouple from China? Arguing Yes: Derek Scissors, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Isaac Stone Fish, CEO and Founder of Strategy Risks Arguing No: Benn Steil, Senior Fellow and Director of International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations Susan Shirk, Research Professor and Director Emeritus of the 21st Century China Center at UC San Diego School of Global Policy Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm making a robot head with an Amazon box.
0:03.0	I've painted it silver and Daddy helped me make it.
0:05.0	At Amazon, we're actually using paper bags for more of our deliveries.
0:09.0	And now I'm making a paper hot air balloon and I even made a little brown basket
0:13.0	and I'm making a dog that looks just like Monty.
0:16.0	Just one of the ways we've reduced the weight of our packaging by more than 40% since 2015,
0:20.0	which is still good for playtime.
0:22.6	Mom, where's the scissors?
0:25.7	To learn more, visit aboutamason.com.com.U.K. forward slash sustainability.
0:31.7	This is open to debate. I'm John Donvan. We're in the New York headquarters of the Council on Foreign Relations, our partner in this ongoing series of debates around global events, this time taking a look
0:41.4	at something of a paradox that involves China. On the one hand, China is now undoubtedly the strongest
0:48.2	rival to the United States economically, militarily, politically. But on the other hand,
0:53.9	the U.S. is profoundly dependent on China.
0:57.4	China is our biggest trading partner, a source of so many manufactured goods that Americans rely on,
1:02.0	as well as a critical market for the things that we do still produce.
1:05.2	China is our biggest lender.
1:06.9	Even our major public universities depend on hundreds of thousands of tuition paying Chinese students who often perform super well.
1:15.4	So China is the competition, and yet the U.S. seems wedded to China.
1:19.7	Can that state of affairs change?
1:22.2	Is that even a good idea?
1:23.7	And what would that look like?
1:25.3	What would the risks be in something like that?
	...

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