美国国会“中国连线”评析

Analysis of the “Congressional China Caucus” in the U.S. House of Representatives

为应对“中国崛起”,美国国会众议院成立了“中国连线”。文章考察了美国国会“中国连线”成立的动因、功能和人员构成,并将“中国连线”与美国国会的“美中工作小组”进行了比较。作者认为,美国国会“中国连线”是一个相对松散但背景复杂的组织,其有关对华政策建议大多带有强烈的两面下注色彩。在其政策主张中,对中国的防范与遏制甚于信任与合作,这在很大程度上制约了该组织成立时宣称的“正确认识中国”的初衷。

The House of Representatives in the U.S. Congress has established a “China Caucus” in response to China’s rise. By examining the reasons why this caucus was formed, its functions, and its members, we can understand Congressional perceptions and policy orientations toward China. Furthermore, by comparing this caucus with the “U.S.-China Working Group” in the House, we can also analyze the internal debates inside Congress on issues related to China’s rise. This paper argues that since its inception, the “China Caucus” has been a loosely organized institution but its members have complicated backgrounds. So far it has emphasized the “uncertainty” of U.S.-China relations, i.e., China can become either a friend or an enemy of the United States. Therefore, its policy advice is tilted toward proposing a “hedging” strategy--a policy of “containment” for the United States. Currently, most members of Congress are worried about the Chinese “threat,” so the caucus pays more attention to “how to contain” rather than “how to cooperate” with China. This pattern of behavior contradicts the original intention, i.e., to “understand China correctly,” of the caucus when it was founded.