U.S. companies and lobbying groups including the Chamber of Commerce, the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) and the National Retail Federation have been campaigning for months against tougher economic measures on China. Many are now turning to progressives in order to protect their business interests in the communist regime.
In recent months, the USCBC, which represents more than 250 U.S. companies that do business in China, has reached out to aides to Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and groups like Justice is Global, Politico reported on Wednesday. A number of progressive groups have been urging Congress to focus on cooperating with Beijing on issues like climate change.
The U.S. can still hold China accountable for human rights and economic abuses, some progressives argue, without placing economic restrictions on Chinese companies or eschewing cooperation with Beijing.