US supply chains offer Biden a way to make allies, not just bring jobs home

The escalating technological, geopolitical and economic rivalry between the superpowers gives greater urgency to a plan for diversification

While much of Joe Biden’s first term in office will involve digging out from the Covid-19 pandemic and recession, the incoming president has also vowed to change the way the U.S. manages its supply chains. This is framed as a way to make America more resilient in the face of crises after struggling to secure much-needed protective and medical materials in the early days of the coronavirus.

But it’s obvious that his supply-chain policy centers on weaning the U.S. and its allies off China. Already dashed is the old theory that free trade would induce Beijing to peacefully democratize and integrate