Abstract

The House of Representatives in the U.S. Congress has established a“China Caucus”in response to China's rise. By examining the reasons why this caucus was formed, its functions, and its members, we can understand Congressional
percep tions and policy orientations toward China. Furthermore, by comparing this caucuswith the“U.S.-China Working Group”in the House, we can also analyze the internal debates inside Congress on issues related to China’s rise.This paper argues that since its inception, the“China Caucus”has been a loosely organized institution but itsmembers have comp licated backgrounds. So far it has emphasized the“uncertainty”ofU.S.-China relations, i.e., China can become either a friend or an enemy of the United States. Therefore, its policy advice is tilted toward p roposing a“hedging”strategy--a policy of“containment”for the United States. Currently, mostmembers of Congress are worried about the Chinese“threat,”so the caucus paysmore attention to“how to contain”rather than“how to cooperate”with China. This pattern of behavior contradicts the original intention, i.e., to“understand China correctly,”of the caucus when it was founded.

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