China lobby
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In United States politics, the China lobby refers to any special interest group acting on behalf of a Chinese government to influence Sino-American relations. During most of the twentieth century, the term "China lobby" was usually used to refer to special interest groups acting on behalf of the Republic of China (ROC). Before American recognition of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1979, the PRC lobby was practically nonexistent; since that time, the PRC lobby has gradually strengthened, and by the 1990s, "China lobby" began usually referring to special interest groups acting on behalf of the PRC. Ironically, the primary competitor of the China lobby has often been the "other" China lobby, the lobbyists acting on behalf of the other Chinese government.
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The different lobbies
Republic of China (ROC)
Since the 1990s, the ROC lobby has weakened for a number of reasons. Among them is the power transition in Taiwan from the Kuomintang (KMT) to the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The new DPP-controlled government has had to hire new lobbyists which have not had the long-standing relationships with members of Congress that the KMT lobbyists had. Lobbyists loyal to the KMT remain, and some have actually begun working together with PRC lobbyists to counter DPP lobbyists promoting Taiwanese independence.
People's Republic of China (PRC)
The People's Republic of China began making significant inroads with its lobbyists in the 1990s. By that decade, the PRC lobbyists finally had enough financial resources to be on a level with, or even out-compete, the ROC lobbyists in donating to members of Congress. Furthermore, the PRC lobbyists were also helped by the transition between KMT and DPP lobbyists.
Since the 1990s, the PRC lobbyists have had two primary goals: first, the prevention of any further recognition of the ROC government by the American government, and second, the promotion of American policies favorable to the economic development of the PRC.
History
Sino-Japanese War
During the Second Sino-Japanese War (which took place simultaneously with World War II), the China lobby helped convince Congress to donate billions of dollars of hard cash and many tons of war material in support of Chiang Kai-shek's virtual war against the Japanese in China and Indochina even before formal American entrance into the Second World War following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Cold War period
During the 1970s, the China (ROC) lobby campaigned furiously to prevent American recognition of the People's Republic of China, but its efforts proved to be unsuccessful and the PRC was recognized by the United States in 1979.
Clinton era
Despite a decline in influence, the ROC lobby retained considerable power as evidenced in the near-unanimous Congressional resolutions (the House vote was 396-0 and the Senate vote was 91-1) in May 1995 to allow ROC president Lee Teng-hui to visit the United States, a decision that angered the PRC and helped spark the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis.
During the presidency of Bill Clinton, there were a number of scandals related to the China (PRC) lobby, collectively dubbed as Chinagate.
2000s
In the first decade of the twenty-first century, the PRC lobby has focused on playing up common interests with the United States in the War on Terrorism. The PRC lobby has also tried to counter the domestic American interest groups which seek to bring pressure upon the PRC to move from a fixed currency to a floating currency.
Meanwhile, the new pro-DPP ROC lobby has sought to counter the erosion of support for greater diplomatic recognition of the ROC.