Battle Without Gunfire: Taiwan and the PRC’s Lobbying Competition in the United States

This article examines the lobbying activities of Taiwan and the PRC in the U.S. It analyzes why and how both Taiwan and the PRC have lobbied so hard in the U.S. in recent years to curry favor with the U.S. government and the American public. While Taiwan has traditionally focused its lobbying on the U.S. Congress and the PRC on the Executive branch, both parties have strengthened their efforts in all walks of American life in a fierce lobbying competition. While Taipei has been selling its democracy, Beijing has been selling its market. The two parties are likely to get more actively involved in American politics, especially during an election year. Both sides need to understand that the United States conducts its foreign policy according to its own national interests. The article concludes that the lobbying competition only worsens cross-strait relations, and that the United States, having long been entangled in the PRC-Taiwan dispute, will face a policy dilemma whenever a crisis emerges between the two Chinese parties.