Blog Post: Kamala Harris Is China’s Preferred Candidate in 2024

Recently, the House Committee on Homeland Security (CHS) released a “China Threat Snapshot” assessment that provided insight into the regularity of Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-related cases of espionage in the United States. The results were shocking. There have been more than 55 documented espionage incidents involving 20 U.S. states since January 2021.  

The report is a sobering reminder that no matter who is elected to office this November, the CCP continues to be a formidable threat to American national security and should remain a top priority for our elected officials. The sophisticated espionage operation being conducted by China highlights the need for leadership at the state and national government levels.  

But with just days to go before the election, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris still has yet to fully articulate a vision for protecting America from the threat posed by the CCP, instead choosing to refrain from giving specifics on how she would ensure the United States combats the Communist China threat. The entire Harris campaign raises troubling questions about the Vice President’s willingness to address the real threats posed by the Communist Chinese government.  

Harris Has Not Prioritized Dealing with the CCP 

As current vice president and aspiring commander-in-chief, Kamala Harris has sidestepped questions about her strategy to deal with the Chinese Communist Party. As the BBC describes, “China is part of the US election - but only from one candidate.” The contrast in the approach to the CCP between President Trump and Harris makes her lack of attention to the issue even more stark.   

After spending more than a month on the campaign trail with no official policy platform, in September Harris finally updated her website with a policy outline that highlighted her priorities as a candidate. That outline, however, is notably absent of a comprehensive plan to stop the CCP’s influence in U.S. government. Aside from a brief mention of China as an economic competitor, Harris’ platform on Chinese influence merely states that “[s]he has met with China’s Xi Jinping, making clear she will always stand up for American interests in the face of China’s threats …” 

Harris Does Not Acknowledge the CCP Threat on the Campaign Trail 

According to BBC Verify, in the weeks following the presidential debate, Trump mentioned China 40 times over the course of five rallies. Harris, on the other hand, “did not mention China at all in her six rallies” following the debate. Trump consistently mentions China and in “just one hour at a town hall forum … in Michigan, he brought up the country 27 times.”  

Instead, Harris has taken the default position of relying on the foreign policy platform built by President Biden over his term as president, with “little daylight.” What difference exists between Biden and Harris on China as expressed through her campaign, though, seems to be that Harris is softer on China than President Biden. As The Economist explains, to “judge by her limited remarks on the topic, Harris seems less hawkish than her boss. She is reluctant to treat China as an actual or potential enemy.” 

Harris Says China is Not Our Top Foreign Policy Challenge 

In a concession to the Chinese government, Kamala Harris recently said that Iran — not China — is the top adversary of the United States. While there is no doubt that Iran is a major threat to America’s national security, China has long been understood to be our largest and most pernicious foreign adversary. Even the Biden Administration admits this: “the PRC presents America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge.” This means that the Harris campaign position downgrades the threat of China from its current status in the Biden Administration.  

Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Walz Has Long Ties to China 

Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is currently under investigation by the House Oversight Committee for his extensive ties to the Communist Chinese government. Walz is facing scrutiny because he has a long history of working with the Chinese government and by his own admission has been to China “around 30 times.”  In 2019, Walz even headlined the US-China Peoples Friendship Association national convention group. The State Department described that group as “a Beijing-based organization tasked with co-opting subnational governments” that works to “influence state and local leaders to promote the PRC’s global agenda.” 

The Chinese Government Wants Harris to Win  

Vice President Harris’ silence regarding the CCP speaks volumes in China. According to numerous reports, the communist government in China would prefer to see Harris elected over former President Trump. Kamala Harris is generally seen as the candidate that will seek to “build on more stable ties under Biden.” The American people should read that as a warning that a Harris Administration could be more easily influenced by powers in Beijing.  

States Must Be Proactive in Enacting National Security Protections  

This troubling lack of clarity from a major party candidate and member of the current administration raises questions about how a Harris presidency would proactively plan to disrupt ongoing and future attempts to undermine U.S. national security. It also highlights why it is important for states to proactively and independently pass legislation that will block influence from the Chinese government. State leaders cannot simply count on the federal government. As we’ve seen, some of those leaders have no interest in protecting our national security interests.