Midwestern viewers tuning into their TVs this summer might have been taken aback to see China and bacon featured together in political ads.
“The corrupt Save Our Bacon scam in the farm bill – it’s a giveaway to Chinese corporations,” one ad proclaimed while showing images of the Chinese flag and President Xi Jinping. “Whose side is your senator on? America or China?”
Viewers might think this was just another Republican initiative aimed at pushing back against Beijing.
However, the situation is much more intricate than that.
At the heart of the strong opposition to the Save Our Bacon Act is a dispute over pig housing standards – and it might be one of the latest instances of China being used as a tool in US domestic politics.
The legislation has sparked an unexpected clash involving animal welfare, agricultural policies, and America’s increasing worries about China, with critics claiming that a Republican-supported farm initiative favors a Chinese-owned pork giant over local farmers.
Republican US Senate candidate Ashley Hinson appears at a campaign event during the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
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