Bully pulpit lawmakers in Washington bullyragging others in bid for decoupling

After decades of economic globalization, all the open economies in the world have become tightly woven in a web of global supply chains. Following market economy rules, countries specialize in what they are good at and collaborate and exchange with others. The international division of work has reached such an extent that most people take it for granted. That a product, such as a car includes parts from multiple countries, is no longer remarkable. Because that is how the global economy works.

But not everyone likes it. Despite the White House's repeated denial that it seeks the "decoupling" of the Chinese and US economies, some in the US Congress are working tirelessly to achieve that by trying to make sure that anything associated with China is defined as a "national security threat". With this excuse, they are continuously extending traditional US long-arm jurisdiction. In the latest instance, as far as Switzerland.

Last week, the House Homeland Security Committee and Select Committee on China, along with two subcommittees, sent a letter to the Swiss engineering company ABB, asking the latter to provide testimony and information to clarify its China connections. Their "concerns" were about the installation of ABB equipment by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company (ZPMC) on US-bound ship-to-shore cranes.