New York’s local businesses are the driving force behind the State’s fiscal well-being, and the goods and services they supply are irreplaceable in our daily lives. To maintain the health of local economies, we must continue to support the small businesses within our communities. One way we can accomplish that is by [shopping at small, local retailers this holiday season.]

[The season kicked off with the] celebration of Small Business Saturday, which took place this year on Saturday, Nov. 27. Small Business Saturday is a staple of the holiday shopping season along with other notable days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While those days offered bargains to consumers shopping for big-ticket items, the Saturday between was an opportunity for consumers to find things they might not be able to get from larger, national retailers. New York has some incredible options and items you simply cannot get anywhere else and buying them greatly benefits both shoppers and local owners. 

According to information from the U.S. Small Business Administration, last year, consumers shopping at independent establishments on Small Business Saturday spent an estimated $19.8 billion. The 2020 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey shows 97 percent of participating shoppers reported they “recognized the positive impact they can make by shopping small” and 85 percent said they have also encouraged others to “shop small.”

Further, shopping locally is not only a great way to support our neighbors, but also objectively more beneficial to and has a direct impact on the communities in which we live. According to Independent We Stand, for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 is returned to the community. In contrast, that number is substantially higher than the $43 returned to the community when purchases are made at national chains.

At a time when our economy has been severely disrupted by the impact of COVID-19, plagued by supply-chain issues and reeling from ongoing labor shortages, it is more important than ever we support independent retailers. While major corporations can fall back on enormous reserves of cash and credit, many small businesses simply do not have that luxury.

This holiday shopping season, consider giving independent sellers a little extra attention; it will go a long way toward keeping their doors open and allowing them to continue to provide the goods and services that make our state so unique. There truly is never a bad time to “shop small.”  

William (Will) A. Barclay, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. 

The rise of China is the most formidable challenge that American foreign policy faces. With its population of nearly 1.5 billion people and its rapid growth, China has transformed itself into an economic and political powerhouse.

We face other challenges, of course. Among them, terrorism, a turbulent Middle East, a nuclear-armed and unpredictable North Korea, climate change, and in relationships with many friends and adversaries around the globe.

But China has emerged as a unique, strong, and sometimes hostile competitor. In a relatively short time, it has built world-class cities, become a global leader in technology, and lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty. Its autocratic, centralized model for governing and the economy sharply contrasts to the open, democratic approach advocated by the United States and our allies.

The U.S. has been the world’s leading nation largely because of the strength of our economy. We still have the largest GDP, at over $20 trillion. China is second, far ahead of Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. Some observers think China’s economy will surpass America’s by the middle of this century.

In some parts of the world, China is already thought to have eclipsed the U.S. According to Pew Research Center surveys from 2019, Europeans and Australians were more likely to view China than the U.S. as the world’s leading economic power. In South Korea, Japan, and India, majorities saw the U.S. as more powerful.

But China’s poor record on standards of behavior handicaps its global leadership. Its aggressive actions in the South China Sea worry its neighbors. It has stifled dissent, doubled down on its control of Hong Kong, and cracked down on the media. Its treatment of the Uighur minority led U.S. officials to accuse it of genocide.

China’s lack of transparency and accountability and its propensity for currency manipulation make it problematic for businesses. According to the Global Business Council, the U.S. remains the most attractive country for foreign direct investment while China is No. 12.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping calls the shots, having amassed more personal power than any head of state in the country since Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s and, of course, Mao Zedong before that. Recently, the ruling Communist Party gave Xi full credit for China’s rise and set the stage for him to win a third five-year term as the country’s leader.

How should the U.S. respond to China? First, we can’t neglect the home front. As Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass put it in the title of his book “Foreign Policy Begins at Home.” When we struggle to deal with our own problems, we weaken our position for world leadership. Moreover, we need to invest in the knowledge economy, including education from pre-K to graduate studies; fund technology and innovation; and strengthen the social safety net. The recently approved infrastructure bill, which provides funding to repair and improve roads, bridges, and public transit and to expand broadband internet, is an important, but not sufficient, step.

Also essential is maintaining a firm and straightforward relationship with China, one that puts American interests first. President Joe Biden spoke with Xi in September and met virtually with him [in November]. These high-level conversations are essential to managing the competition between the U.S. and China and preventing it from veering into conflict.

This is the most consequential relationship in the world right now, and we’ve got to get it right. The U.S. and China have many common interests — addressing climate change, trade, preventing terrorism, and reducing conflict. There are many issues on which we disagree, sometimes strongly. To avoid conflict and enhance the quality of life of our citizens, we need to work with China whenever we can and oppose it whenever we must. 

Lee Hamilton, 90, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south central Indiana.