The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Transshipment Crackdowns Won’t Fix the U.S.-China Trade Imbalance
English Summary
The analysis argues that focusing policy efforts on 'transshipment crackdowns' is insufficient to resolve the U.S.-China trade imbalance. Empirical evidence suggests that Chinese value added entering the U.S. market is primarily due to substantial transformation in third-country supply chains, rather than simple, illegal rerouting of goods. Furthermore, the persistent trade imbalance is rooted in fundamental macroeconomic factors—China's export-oriented model and the U.S.'s high demand for inputs (e.g., AI infrastructure)—which tariffs have failed to correct. Therefore, policy must shift from targeting specific fraudulent activities to addressing the structural economic determinants and tariff differentials driving the lopsided trade relationship.
中文摘要
本分析認為，僅將政策重點放在「轉運查緝」上，不足以解決美中貿易不平衡問題。實證證據顯示，進入美國市場的中國附加價值，主要源於第三國供應鏈的實質轉型，而非簡單的非法轉運。此外，持續的貿易不平衡根源於根本性的宏觀經濟因素——即中國的出口導向型模式與美國對投入品（例如AI基礎設施）的高需求——而關稅措施未能糾正這些結構性問題。因此，政策必須從針對特定的欺詐行為，轉向解決驅動這種失衡貿易關係的結構性經濟決定因素和關稅差異。
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