ECONOMIC &
FINANCIAL
COMMITTEE
Spring MUN 2022
Economic & Financial Committee
Table of Contents
1. Letters from the executive board
2. Introduction to the committee
3. Introduction to the agenda
4. Historical context
5. Current situation
6. Bloc Positions
7. Timeline
8. QARMA
9. Position Papers
10. Communiques
11. Closing Remarks
12. Bibliography
Economic & Financial Committee
Letter from the Director
Dear Delegates,
My name is Sidhant Sharma and I have the honour of serving as your director for ECOFIN in
Spring MUN 2022. Over the past 4 years, I have attended countless MUNs and gained an
amount of knowledge I didn’t think was possible when I first started. I hope you will be able to
add to that and do justice to what is undoubtedly among the most controversial topics of
the 21st century. Aside from MUNning, I greatly enjoy basketball and binging sitcoms. In the
future, I hope to be working in the field of economics, which has always been something that
fascinates me.
After the plethora of conferences I have attended over the years, MUN has become an
inseparable part of my identity, and to thrive in MUN, you must make your country the same.
Be it USA or China, Rwanda or Sweden, no matter what the standing of your allocated nation
in your eyes, you must embrace its beliefs, and truly convince the world community why they
should as well. MUN gives you the opportunity to represent the world’s nations and their
leaders, some of the most powerful people in the world, which I find truly incredible.
I would like to take this moment to underline the importance of the holy trinity of MUN,
research, confidence, and diplomacy. Without research, you cannot defend your foreign
policy or find loopholes in others, and without confidence you can do neither of the
aforementioned with conviction. Diplomacy, finally, is a tool that takes practice to build, but
when used correctly will sway committee like nothing else can. Spring MUN is always an
action packed and entertaining two days, and delegates must be ready to deal with any
challenge thrown their way. I would like to encourage you to contact me, or any member of
the Executive Board through the committee email provided if you have any questions or
concerns during your preparation. Lastly, remember to have fun! MUN is something with a
constant learning curve and in its intensity, enjoyment is buried. I look forward to interacting
with all of you in January!
Director of ECOFIN
Sidhant Sharma
Economic & Financial Committee
Letter from the Assistant Director
Dear Delegates,
My name is Vansh Shah and I will be your Assistant Director for the Economic and Finance
Committee (ECOFIN) at Spring MUN this year. I am currently in the second year of IBDP, I
enjoy listening to music and binge watching shows in my free time.
This year at ECOFIN we will be discussing the trade war between the United States and China.
This conflict first began in 2019 and ever since then escalated in the early months of 2020.
This topic is extremely technical and is a current status quo as well. Therefore, I would
recommend delegates to be extremely well researched in order to understand the
proceedings of committee and come up with a comprehensive solution to the problem
through rigorous debate over the 2 days. The delegates must ensure that the solutions
proposed are feasible and implementable given that the dispute involves 2 of the most
powerful countries in the world.
Moreover, delegates that know their information well, stick to their foreign policy and have
basic technical knowledge regarding the economics aspects of the topic will be able to
generate speeches of good quality which will be appreciated by the Executive Board. The EB
want to ensure that the delegates have a satisfying experience over the course of this
conference. On the grounds of diplomacy delegates must ensure not to compromise on
their foreign policy and what their country stands for. I hope that the delegates can come up
with creative, interesting and unique solutions to this status quo.
Lastly, I’m looking forward to interacting with all of you in this conference and discuss such
pivotal issues. Delegates are always welcome to email me or anyone on the EB if you have
any doubts or you need any clarifications we are always available on the email IDs provided
on the website. Looking forward to meeting all of you in January!
Assistant Director of ECOFIN
Vansh Shah
Economic & Financial Committee
Letter from the Assistant Director
Dear Delegates,
My name is Reya Parikh and it is my pleasure to be your Assistant Director for the Economic and
Finance Committee at Spring MUN this year. I am currently in my first year of the IBDP programme
and I have been a passionate MUNner since 7th grade. While MUN is a very important part of my
student life, I have several other interests. I enjoy reading, playing tennis and listening to music.
Additionally, I am very interested in reading up on international relations, and I hope to pursue this
field in the future.
I have attended over 15 MUNs, and each one has succeeded in teaching me something new to
help turn me into the confident, articulate munner I am today. Model United Nations teaches us
the art of diplomacy and encourages collaboration, innovation and quick-thinking. These are
traits which I feel are extremely important to possess, especially when dealing with complex and
sensitive global issues. MUN also requires you to step out of your comfort zone, challenge yourself,
work under pressure and hold your ground no matter what. This may seem overwhelming,
especially if you are a first timer, but I would advise you to speak up and always try to share your
thoughts on the subject at hand. I am very excited to be serving as your Assistant Director this
year, especially since we have chosen a topic which is complex, stimulating and one which
require delegates to challenge themselves, make critical decisions and determine the fate of the
global economy. This topic is also one which has multiple aspects to it and one which has the
potential to spark a broad array of discussion. Hence, I hope to see a high level of debate,
enthusiasm, confidence and a number of innovative and creative solutions over the few days of
the conference.
Make sure that you are properly versed with the topic because a deeper understanding of the
agenda will only help you come up with better and more effective solutions to solve the conflict.
Conduct yourself with the utmost diplomacy and confidence throughout the committee sessions,
as these two traits are the most important qualities of a good delegate. Finally, remember that
while this is a mock version of the real United Nations, the solutions you come up with must also
be plausible and practical ones. I look forward to seeing each of you delegates in committee,
and in the meantime, if you have any doubts, please feel free to reach out to the executive board
on the committee email ID.
Assistant Director of ECOFIN
Reya Parikh
Economic & Financial Committee
Introduction to the Committee
The Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN) was created in 1945, and is the second of six
committees in the general assembly. Every member nation has one vote, and states can take
part in discussions and action governing issues related to economic growth and
macroeconomic policy.
ECOFIN’s primary aims involve ‘financing for development; sustainable development;
globalization and interdependence; eradication of poverty’, economic reform, global financing
and more. Throughout history, ECOFIN has helped nations financially in times of crisis, and has
lowered the financial pressure on nations through foreign aid programs. Recently, the
committee has taken a stand on the Israel- Palestine conflict, demanding that Israel end its
occupation of their Arab neighbors due to the economic, military and resource strain on the
nations. ECOFIN has one annual session, but emergency sessions can be held if called on by
the UNSC or a simple majority of member nations. The committee features general debate,
thematic discussions and draft resolutions, which are voted on by all member nations.
Introduction to the agenda
From a verbal and ideological disagreement, to economic warfare to the 21st century equivalent
of the cold war, US-China bilateral relations have disintegrated at breakneck speed since the
start of 2018. Under Donald Trump, there was no shortage of tariffs, restrictions or allegations
thrown from either side, but there was hope for change following the election of democrat Joe
Biden.
This, however, did not materialize and relations have frayed even further, even going as far as
calling the conflict ‘a battle between the utility of democracies in the twenty-first century and
autocracies.’ With the original purpose of the tariffs proving to be flawed, it remains to be seen
what form of warfare this conflict will take to.
With the biggest nations of the world locked in a power struggle that has and will continue to
affect every single nation, it is up to the global community to find a solution before the world
economy cripples and humanity suffers.
Economic & Financial Committee
Historical context
Trade Relations Between USA-China
Since the late 1970s, when China began its economic reforms, the volume of goods commerce
between the two countries has increased dramatically. Following China's admission to the World
Commerce Organization (WTO) in 2001, trade grew even faster, with the US and China
becoming each other's most important trading partners. The United States has regularly
imported more from China than it has exported, with the bilateral goods trade deficit between
the two countries reaching $375.6 billion in 2017.
Various aspects of the US-China commercial relationship have been questioned by the US
government, notably huge bilateral trade imbalances and China's very rigid currency rates. In
order to protect US local producers, the Bush and Obama administrations slapped quotas and
taxes on Chinese textiles, accusing China of exporting these products at dumping prices. During
the Obama administration, the United States also accused China of subsidising aluminium and
steel production, and launched a slew of anti-dumping probes into the country. However,
commerce between the United States and China grew throughout these two US administrations.
During this time, China's economy rose to become the world's second largest, trailing only the
United States. Some US authorities were disturbed by large-scale Chinese economic projects
such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and "Made in
China 2025." More broadly, the US administration sees China's economic expansion as a threat
to American economic and geopolitical dominance.
Intellectual Property Theft allegations against China
Intellectual property theft is the exploitation of someone's or a company's ideas, inventions, and
creative expressions, which can encompass everything from trade secrets and proprietary
products and parts to movies, music, and software. One of the main claims for imposing tariffs
against the Chinese government by President Trump was the Intellectual Property theft done by
China. With regards to a report released by the FBI it was estimated that Chinese economic
espionage activities have accounted for $320 billion in losses which is about 80 per cent of
total cost of intellectual property theft to the US in 2018. A claim was made that 1 in 5 U.S. based
companies have faced intellectual property theft from China.
Economic & Financial Committee
Historical context
The Belt and Road Initiative
The Belt and Road Initiative is one of the USA’s biggest threats regarding China surpassing them
as an economic superpower. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a megaproject that China is
currently working on and is widely regarded as the largest project of the century: an interregional
network of railroads and shipping channels that would connect China to 70 nations throughout
Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. The "Belt," which recreates the ancient Silk Road land route, and
the "Road," which alludes to a passage through numerous oceans, are the two components, as
the name implies. Analysts warn, however, that the enormous quantity of loans from China may
put recipient countries in a "debt trap" (a situation in which a borrower is forced to re-borrow their
loan obligations because they are unable to make the planned payments). According to critics,
China is establishing a network of overseas military sites and acquiring political clout by getting
access to vital places in bankrupt countries.
Made in China 2025
Another ambitious state-led objective by China is to develop internationally competitive
autonomous technology by 2025. The national policy aims to develop ten strategically and
technologically significant areas, including 5G networks and cybersecurity, high-end precision
tools and robotics, and aerospace, the majority of which are now dominated by Western firms.
This project incorporates government incentives as well as significant research and development
funding. In reality, between 2000 and 2015, China's research and development (R&D) spending
increased by an average of 18% per year, whereas the US's only increased by roughly 4%. This
increase in R&D puts China in a strong position to compete with the United States, the world's top
backer of science and technology.
What are tariffs?
A tariff is a tax imposed on a product manufactured outside of the respective country. In theory,
the cost of taxing imported goods means that people are less likely to buy them as they become
more expensive. The goal is for them to buy cheaper local products instead, boosting the
economy of the country in question and protecting particular national sectors and jobs in the
process. Tariffs can also be used to further foreign policy objectives: levying tariffs on a trade
partner's principal exports is one approach to exercise economic leverage.
Economic & Financial Committee
Historical context
Events Under Trump's Government
All through his presidential campaign in 2016, Donald Trump proposed cutting the massive trade
deficit of the United States with China, which he blamed on trade practices such as industrial
espionage and an absence of availability to the Chinese market for US companies. Tariffs on
China, as per proponents in the United States, will bring manufacturing jobs to the US. This was
done in order to motivate China to amend its policies with regards to governing intellectual
property and investment.
In August 2017, as president, he authorised the Office of the United States Trade Representative
(USTR) to conduct an investigation into Chinese economic practises. The resulting report,
released in March 2018, slammed numerous areas of Chinese economic policy, focusing on
alleged technology transfer, which the report claimed cost the US economy between $225 and
$600 billion per year. Following the publication of the study, Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese
imports, filed a WTO complaint against China, and imposed restrictions on Chinese investment in
high-tech sectors of the US economy. Proceeding the imposition of tarrifs, President Donald
Trump released a statement denying the start of a trade war, stating, “trade war was lost many
years ago by the foolish, or incompetent, people who represented the U.S.” However he went on to
state that the alleged theft of intellectual property from China shall not continue and on 22 March
2018, went on to impose tariffs on over 1300 Chinese imported goods. In response to this, China
applied tariffs on 128 American products, and the two countries began to get caught in a back
and forth of sanctioning and limiting the trade between each other, in a frantic attempt to
weaken the other's economy.
However, a study conducted by the Federal Reserve Staff exposed the true effects of the tariffs
reporting that while the aim of imposing the tariffs was to end the outsourcing in the United
States, 87% of the productants had not shifted production from China, and gains in factory jobs in
the United States itself had flatlined. The trade deficit between China and the United States ended
up increasing from $28.7 billion to $30.3 billion following the tariffs enforced by both sides.
Throughout this period, China maintained a policy of claiming that the US government's true goal
is to stifle China's growth, and that the trade war has harmed the global economy. The Chinese
administration blamed the United States for sparking the dispute while continuing to impose
tariffs throughout 2018 in response.
Economic & Financial Committee
Current Situation
While many expected the situation to de-escalate under the Biden administration, as his policy
was projected to be less confrontationist as compared to Trump, for the issue of China, it has
been anything but. Their very first meeting was uncharacteristically late, as neither side was in
any rush to smoothen relations, as seen by the open insults traded by high-ranking members of
the governments then. Politically, Biden’s regime has maintained the stance Trump adopted,
demonizing the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), and calling for change and reform.
Security Issues
The USA’s policy on Taiwan has stayed the same, as they have even furthered security relations
with the nation. Under the ‘Taiwan Relations Act’, the US is obligated to ensure that Taiwan can
defend and protect itself, and hence is constantly liaising with Taiwanese officials regarding
military issues like the manufacturing and sale of arms.
With the recent withdrawal and freeing up of US troops from Afghanistan, it is likely that there will
be a surge in US support, both in terms of resources and military, for nations in the Asia-Pacific
under threat from China. This fits the theme of the proxy war that the conflict has developed into,
with neither global superpower being willing to directly have a military confrontation with the
other.
Trade and Technology
While empirically there has been anything but a de-escalation of tensions, the Biden
administration has opted to stop referring t o China as an ‘adversary’ and has instead used the
term ‘competitor.’ This has meant that economically, the administration has aimed to do
everything it can to catch up to China’s rapid progress.
In terms of the technological sphere that China dominates, the USA has enacted various policies
aimed at increasing innovation, including an increased expenditure on research and
development, as well as the targeted improvement of particular technologies.
On the trade frontier on the other hand, the situation remains vastly unchanged. Contrary to the
criticism he leveled on the tariffs under the Trump administration, with more than 100,000 jobs
being lost, Biden has opted to leave them all as they are.
Economic & Financial Committee
Current Situation
The Phase 1 trade deal had initially provided a semblance of an opportunity to ease the
sanctions, but it too fell flat, as neither China nor USA adhered to the terms of the deal which
were meant to ease the economic tensions between the nations.
No measure to ease economic tensions will be useful until each nation is willing to negotiate,
which as of now, they clearly aren’t. The Office of the United States Trade Representative wrote
‘Even as we work to enforce the terms of Phase One, we will raise our broader concerns with
Beijing's non-market policies and practices like abuse of state-owned enterprises, anti-
competitive behavior and subsidies, the theft of American intellectual property directly and in
coordination with our allies and partners.’ On the other hand, Xi Jinping said the USA had
‘interfered with China’s internal affairs, harmed China’s interests, and were not conducive to
mutual trust and cooperation,’ over the nations of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet.
While there have been nuanced changes from Trump’s administration to Biden’s, the crux of
the problem and stances have remained consistent. While Biden has advocated for a return to
multilateralism, encourages the USA’s allies to support them to counter China, most nations are
not interested in being involved in another proxy war. This means that the USA must adopt
either a purely multilateral or confrontationist policy soon, for without this they remain stranded
in no man’s land.
Economic & Financial Committee
Bloc Positions
EU
Since the end of the Cold War, the more liberal nations of Europe have had a large financial
invovlement with the USA, pushing for a more financially liberal and democratic world. While
under the Trump administration the nations of the European Unions were often opposed to
the actions taken, Biden has repaired a lot of the anti-China alliances that were strained by
Trump.
While most nations in the EU share the apprehensions over Chinese trade practices, there
has been some change recently, with Italy becoming the first country to accept and join
China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Africa
Due to the rampant poverty in Africa, Chinese loans have become highly attractive, causing
a plethora of infrastructure and development projects to crop up recently. At the same time,
USA remains the largest investor in the continent.
Russia
Russia has time and time again helped China deal with US economic sanctions, as their
close economic and military ties enable them to be stronger together. This interdepence has
mitigated the pressure placed by the US against Chinese expansion.
Asia
Asia is a mixed bag in terms of support for the two global superpowers. While there are
nations like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and more that boast of a strong US presence to
counter Chinese intentions, a lot of the continent is pro China. Given the trade relations of
ASEAN and the Belt and Road Initiative bolstering development, a multitude of nations in
Southeast Asia have voiced their opinion on USA's unilateral and unfair actions. At the same
time, due to China's increased activity in the South China Sea, they have had their fair share
of territory disputes, such as with Vietnam or Malaysia.
Economic & Financial Committee
Timeline
1992: US-China Memorandum of Understanding on Intellectual Property: The US-China MoU
on IP protection was regarded at the time as one of the most significant accords since it
required China to safeguard US intellectual property to a greater extent. The 1992
Memorandum of Understanding, on the other hand, does not address the procedures for
implementation. Though China's trademark, patent, and copyright laws provide some legal
protection for intellectual property, their actual application is suspect, as evidenced by the
lack of registration procedures and instruction on what constitutes IP theft.
2013: The Belt and Road Initiative is first launched
2015: The ‘Made in China 2025’ ten year plan is set into action
06/07/2018: The trade war between the United States and China begins.
Cars, hard discs, and aircraft parts are among the US$34 billion in imports from China that
are subject to 25% tariffs. China responds by putting a 25% duty on 545 US-made items
worth US$34 billion, including agricultural products, vehicles, and aquatic products.
23/08/2018: The United States levies 25% tariffs on another US$16 billion worth of Chinese
imports. Another US$16 billion in Chinese goods are subject to 25% duties, including iron and
steel, electrical machinery, railway supplies, instruments and apparatus. China retaliates by
imposing 25% tariffs on US imports worth $16 billion.
01/12/2018: At the G20 conference, Xi and Trump call a truce in the trade war.
After China vowed to acquire a "very large" amount of American exports, Presidents Xi
Jinping and Donald Trump agreed to a 90-day trade truce to allow for further talks to
resolve US concerns.
10/05/2019: The United States raises taxes on Chinese goods worth $200 billion.
After failing to reach an agreement on trade, the US raises taxes on Chinese goods worth
$200 billion from 10% to 25%. China replies by saying that beginning June 1, tariffs on US
goods worth $60 billion would be raised.
Economic & Financial Committee
Timeline
15/05/2019: The United States has added Huawei to its 'entity list.'
The US Department of Commerce has added Huawei Technologies Co. to its "entity list,"
effectively prohibiting US corporations from selling to the Chinese telecoms firm without prior
clearance.
01/06/2019: China increases tariffs on US$60 billion worth of US products
29/06/2019: Xi Jinping and Donald Trump again agree to a trade war truce, this time at the
G20 summit in Japan
05/08/2019: US designates China as a “currency manipulator”
13/08/2019: US announces that various planned levies on US$455 billion worth of Chinese
products have either been delayed or removed
23/08/2019: China announces planned tariffs of 5 and 10 per cent on US$75 billion worth of
US goods
15/01/2020: China, US sign the phase-one trade deal
The phase-one trade pact was signed by US President Donald Trump and China's senior
trade negotiator, Vice-Premier Liu He, and covers purchase commitments, financial market
access, intellectual property protection, and enforcement.
15/09/2020: China decides to exempt additional tariffs on a batch of 16 US products for
another year
15/09/2020: A three-person WTO panel concluded that the Trump administration's tariffs
were illegal since they were only applied to China and exceeded the maximum rates the US
had agreed to without proper explanation.
Economic & Financial Committee
Timeline
08/11/2020: President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting Americans from
investing in companies with ties to China's military.
02/12/2020: US government says it will begin to block the import of all cotton products made
by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC)
02/12/2020: US president-elect Joe Biden tells The New York Times he will not make any
“immediate moves” to lift trade war tariffs
18/02/2021: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says that tariffs on China will be kept in place
"For the time being, we've kept the tariffs that the Trump administration imposed... and we'll
evaluate what we think is appropriate going forward," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tells
CNBC, adding that Washington expects Beijing to honour its trade agreements.
QARMA
1. How can USA and China collaborate to prevent further escalation of the crisis?
2. How can the slow process of removing tariffs start?
3. How can dialogue and cooperation between the two nations for the sake of the world be
encouraged?
4. Should either of the two nations be blamed and have to face the consequences?
5. Are USA's allegations against Chinese technology companies baseless or do they have merit?
6. Should China have to construct a plan for transferring technology?
7. What is the verdict on USA tariffs on Chinese goods? Should they be rescinded?
8. Are Chinese subsidies for technology firms protectionist, which would violate WTO policies?
9. What roles can the ECOFIN play in resolving trade wars or disputes? How can this role be
expanded to preventing trade wars/disputes or accelerating its resolution, whilst ensuring that
the ECOFIN’s expanded role is acceptable to members?
10. How should the ECOFIN help boost the economy of countries that have not directly been part
of this trade war, yet have been adversely affected by it?
Economic & Financial Committee
Position Papers
Position papers are a pivotal part of MUN which help the EB understand each delegate’s
rough stance and position on the topic before they enter the committee. All position papers
must be at least a side long with the delegates full name, school and allocation attached in
the header. (For example – Sidhant Sharma-Hill Spring-USA) The font size must be 13 and
style‘Times new Roman.’ The papers must be in third person for example “The delegate of
USA believes that ...”
The position papers must pertain to the following structure:
Begin with the ‘General statement of the problem.’ i.e. what the delegate believes the
committee should focus on key issues and a basic description of what the delegate believes
is the problem.
The second part must entail the country’s stance on the topic . Delegates cannot give their
own personal opinions. Each delegate must research thoroughly on their stance and county
policy in relation to the topic. Any key events or actionstaken by the delegate’s country which
display clearly what the delegate’s policy is, must be mentioned. Finally, the most important
and probably longest segment must be potential solutions. What solution does the delegate
and its nation believe are viable to put an end to the crisis must be mentioned. Details are
not required as those will be brought out in committee however a rough idea must be
portrayed. Delegates may use some additional material like maps, images etc. to support
their papers. However, they must not compromise on textual material due to this.
Bibliography is pivotal as plagiarism will not be accepted, and if plagiarism is caught, the
delegate will not be eligible for an award. Position papers must come in before midnight on
the deadline day or the delegates will not be eligible for an award.
Economic & Financial Committee
Communiques
In the ECOFIN this year there is bound to be some form of a crisis, hence communiques are one
of the most lethal weapons of adelegate’s arsenal.
A communiqué is simply an executive order from a delegate asking an organisation, a group of
people, an agency or even an unauthorised power to perform some kind of action or to take
some kind of a policy decision, which will affect theproceedings in committee. These
communiques must at all times be realistic.
Communiques sent purely for purposes of disruption or entertainment will be frowned upon.
Please use these as a tool to aid you in achieving a final solution rather than as a solution to any
problem itself. Used wisely, communiques can facilitate debate and lobbying to allow for more
intellectually stimulating committee sessions which can produce better qualitypaperwork and
diplomacy.
Types Of Communiques:
Open Communiques
These are communiques where whatever action you take is displayed in front of the committee
and you are directly identified as a perpetrator of that action. These will only be permitted when
necessary, and should not be used to inform the committee of arbitrary domestic
developments or policy changes in response to crisis.
Closed Communique
In most committees, this is the most widely used communiqué and it is the ideal tool to take
action. The EB will not disclose the authors of the communique however may introduce the
content of the communique in the form of a crisis.
Joint Communiques
These are communiques where two or more entities take some kind of action together, where
both countries are directlyinvolved. These communiques can again be open or closed. While
joint communiques are more likely to be implemented, it is important to remember the kind of
delegate you would pass a communiqué with.
Economic & Financial Committee
For a communiqué to be implemented, not only does it need to be excessively detailed and
specific, but also feasible. While good communiques generally tend to be improbable
actions in the real international community, they are well detailed and do not stray too far
from actual possibilities. The implementation of any communique regardless of its
implications are solely at the discretion of the chair and are not subject to debate or being
challenged in committee.
Closing Remarks
The Executive Board is present purely to help you, and so if you have any doubts,
apprehensions or require help, please feel free to reach out to us on the ECOFIN committee
email and we will do our best to help you! The EB hopes that delegates will arrive at
comprehensive solutions to help the economies of USA and China, and by extension, any
nation that has economic relations with the countries. We strongly encourage you to use this
study guide as a base for your research, and use the further reading links as well as your
own research to develop a thorough idea of the stance of your allocation. Even though this is
not a historic committee, ECOFIN will have a freeze date of January 21st, 2021, so real world
developments don’t adversely affect the committee. The EB looks forward to meeting all of
you in January and hearing some engaging debate!
Economic & Financial Committee
Bibliography/ Links for further research
https://bestdelegate.com/committee-guide-to-ecofin-economic-and-financial-
committee/
https://www.un.org/en/ga/second/
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/04/26/what-does-bidens-first-100-days-
tell-us-about-his-approach-to-china/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-details-factbox-idUSKBN1ZE2IF
https://www.piie.com/blogs/trade-and-investment-policy-watch/anatomy-flop-why-
trumps-us-china-phase-one-trade-deal-fell
https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/white-collar-crime/piracy-ip-theft
https://www.thehansindia.com/hans/opinion/news-analysis/china-stealing-intellectual-
property-to-stay-competitive-675440
https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-wields-new-legal-weapon-to-fight-claims-of-
intellectual-property-theft-11632654001
https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/09/16/u.s.-china-trade-war-has-become-cold-
war-pub-85352
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/donald-trumps-final-
china-scorecard-a-story-of-many-defeats-and-one-big-
change/articleshow/78949811.cms
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds543_e.htm
https://www.piie.com/blogs/trade-investment-policy-watch/trump-trade-war-china-
date-guide
h
Economic & Financial Committee
Bibliography/ Links for further research
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45899310
https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_us-offer-alternative-chinas-belt-and-road-
initiative/6206928.html
