How China got caught in the crossfire of a US bacon fight

Midwestern Americans watching television this summer may have been surprised to see China and bacon appearing together in political advertisements.
“The corrupt Save Our Bacon scam in the farm bill – it’s a giveaway to Chinese corporations,” one advertisement declared over images of the Chinese flag and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “Whose side is your senator on? America or China?”
Viewers might assume the advertisement was promoting yet another Republican-led effort to counter Beijing.
The...