968: Matt Pottinger has built a China policy for 2021. @joshrogin
Image: Matthew Pottinger in 2011. Matt Pottinger has built a China policy for 2021. @joshrogin Josh Rogin: @joshrogin, in re: Matt Pottinger wasn’t a likely Trump Admin official, but after Trump bumbled the China issue with a call from Tsai Ing-wen, president of Taiwan, Matt was brought in and slowly worked with govt officials to rework its approach to China for the first time in generations. A massive awakening to China’s influence and interference in American academe, commerce, mfrg. He rose to be deputy national security advisor, and was here when the Chinese virus stuck. Hawks and hardliners vs appeasers and engagers. Hawks: favor decoupling from China; Matt and others don’t want to blow up the relations but to reset it after years of neglect. Matt, reading Chinese, was first in the govt to announce the virus. Mulvaney and others fought tooth and nail—opposed closing down travel from there, although that policy was the wisest to be promoted. Problem: Chinese money inside politics. Think Hunter and family—peddling power to enrich themselves with the help of shady Chinese businessmen; Bush Foundation is the same. China buying institutions, pension funds, Silicon Valley corporations. Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongolians; but CCP also wants to direct how we think, using money from US investors.