China in Democratic Party Platforms

Dr. WOO Jung-Yeop

Director of the Center for American Studies,

The Sejong Institute

woo@sejong.org

English Abstract

The Republican Party (GOP) and the Democratic Party of the U.S. conventionally adopt their party platforms at the respective National Convention, in which each party elects its nominee for president of the United States. However, GOP did not adopt a party platform for the upcoming 2020 U.S. presidential election. More notably, the Democratic Party adopted a radically changed party platform and showed its shift in the perception toward China. The Democratic Party had traditionally stipulated its commitment to the “One China” policy and Taiwan Relation Act and its support for a peaceful resolution of Corss-Strait issues in its party platform. On the other hand, the Democratic Party Platform of this year explicitly titled the ruling party of China as the “Chinese Communist Party” and removed a phrase of “One China.” Such changes in the party platform indicate that there will be no significant difference in the U.S. perception of China, even if Joe Biden becomes president.