Why Americans should be worried about President Trump’s China summit

Americans should be worried about President Trump’s upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Recent musings out of the White House sound like President Trump may be willing to allow Chinese manufacturers to produce in the U.S. This is a serious threat to both our economic and national security, and something many of us in the Congress – in a rare bipartisan effort – will fight with all our might. These days, when you can get both sides of the aisle to agree on anything, it’s usually a sign that something should be done.

That is true for the new bipartisan legislation I am leading alongside Congressman John Moolenaar to ban Chinese car companies from doing business here to disrupt our manufacturing economy, put American auto workers out of a job, and put our national security at risk.

For decades, the United States embraced globalization under the assumption that deeper economic integration would be mutually beneficial and create American jobs. Free trade was the cry of billionaires, economists, and corporate leaders. The reality is far from what was predicted. America has witnessed entire industries be destroyed and hollowed out. Steel mills closed, semiconductor production moved overseas, suppliers built in Asia, Mexico and around the world and manufacturing communities from Michigan to Pennsylvania lost jobs that once supported middle-class families.

PROTECTING AMERICANS’ DATA FROM CHINA IS CENTRAL TO AN AMERICA FIRST AGENDA

China does not play under the same free-market rules that America does. Their global dominance rose because no one competing with them is playing on a level playing field and the global marketplace is at a significant disadvantage. Chinese companies receive massive subsidies from their government (the Chinese Communist Party), preferential financing, intellectual property advantages, manipulated currency, and strategic direction from Beijing. Allowing those same firms to produce inside the United States will give a geopolitical adversary leverage over America’s economy from within.

Nowhere is this concern more urgent than in the auto industry. Modern vehicles are no longer simply cars and trucks — they are rolling computers. Autonomous and connected vehicles continuously collect enormous amounts of information, including location data, driving patterns, camera footage, mapping information, and personal information tied to drivers and passengers. Vehicles are equipped with advanced sensors and software that track where Americans live, work, worship, seek medical care, and send their children to school. While these metrics are essential for improving safety and innovation, we must also protect this information from our adversaries.

I led more than 70 Democrats in the House in warning the administration that Chinese-connected vehicles engage in extensive data collection and transmission, including GPS locations, driving behaviors, and in-car conversations. I warned that this data, if routed to servers controlled by Chinese entities, will ultimately be accessed by the Chinese government under its national security laws.

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That possibility alarmed not only my Democratic colleagues who signed my letter to the president, but the over 50 Republican colleagues in the House who signed a similar letter. We are all warning that any effort to lower barriers for Chinese automobiles or otherwise facilitate their entry into the U.S. market would pose a direct threat to American manufacturing, workers, and national security. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are also urging President Trump to maintain existing bans and close loopholes that could allow Chinese vehicles assembled in Mexico or Canada to enter the United States through USMCA trade provisions.

Industry leaders themselves are sounding the alarm. Ford CEO Jim Farley recently warned that allowing Chinese automakers into the U.S. market would be "devastating" for domestic manufacturing and raised concerns about the enormous amount of data collected through cameras and connected vehicle technologies.

This is ultimately about resilience and sovereignty. A nation that cannot produce its own critical goods — or protect the data generated by its citizens — cannot fully control its own future. The United States should welcome fair competition and international investment from partners who share democratic values and market principles. But when it comes to strategic industries central to national security, economic stability, and personal privacy, America must ensure the next generation of manufacturing and mobility is built by companies committed to America’s interests — not controlled by an authoritarian rival.

The president must keep his word to the American people and not allow China to manufacture in the U.S. This is not about hostility toward the Chinese people or opposition to trade. It is about protecting American workers, safeguarding supply chains, defending privacy, and preserving America’s long-term economic independence. Sometimes the strongest dealmaking strategy is knowing when to walk away — because a bad deal with China that undercuts American workers, manufacturers, farmers, and communities would cost the United States far more than it would gain.