Abstract

On November 19, 2022, the U.S. midterm elections are close to being settled. Except for some states where the counting process is still underway, the winners of the House and Senate are already known: the Democrats have retained the Senate by a very narrow margin, while the Republicans have become the majority party in the House. The Democrats and the Biden administration have lost full control of the "legislative-executive" process. The Republicans will use the House's legislative, budgetary, and foreign trade treaty review and investigation powers, as well as the House's unique impeachment powers, to play the Democrats and setting the stage for the next two years of elections. This report analyzes five fundamental trends in the U.S. and their impact on China from the midterm elections, particularly the impact of the Republican Party's radicals against China and the impact of its leading professional committees on China-related legislation. Overall, Republicans' control of the House will limit the Biden administration's space for China-related policies, spur Congressional Democrats to become more assertive toward China, and may lead to more aggressive China-related legislation, particularly related to "technology decoupling”. Finally, the report provides possible options for China to address the impact of the 2022 U.S. midterm elections.