John Delaney: Rejoining the TPP allows us to compete with China
As a more moderate candidate in the slew of 2020 Democratic contenders, Rep. John Delaney conveyed his take on how to tackle the U.S.-China trade war on FOX Business’ "Bulls and Bears" on Tuesday.
First of all, Delaney, a Democrat from Maryland, expressed his concern with China’s intellectual-property theft.
“They steal intellectual property; they steal islands in the South China Sea,” Delaney said.
As a means to address China’s pompous actions, Delaney said he wants America to rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
President Trump withdrew from the TPP because he believed it was outsourcing American jobs to 11 foreign nations. It was initially meant to promote free trade and was supposed to ensure trade done by land, sea, and air was respected.
“I’m the only Democrat who supports getting in that agreement because that allows us to compete with China, and we have to play the long game with China. We have to realize we’re going to have to compete with them.”
The idea America can unilaterally address the trade war through tariffs is wishful thinking, according to Delaney. He wants to work with U.S. allies to erase intellectual property theft.
“The only way to actually take it to China on that issue is by getting our allies and U.S. private companies on the same page,” Delaney said.
When asked about dismantling tariffs entirely, Delaney noted some sort of trade deal would happen.
Delaney believes China will buy varying degrees of soybeans and aircraft, but the underlying worry of intellectual property theft could remain.
Delaney is still worried about American farmers in the Heartland, notably Iowa farmers.
“I travel around, [and] Iowa farmers are getting killed because of the trade war.”
As many of the remaining Democratic candidates focus on the Iowa caucus, Delaney said any Democrat in office would improve the economy.
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“I think some of the things that Sen. Warren and Sen. Sanders are running on will never pass the Congress, [so] I’m not that worried about a lot of it," Delaney said.