Bipartisan Senators Prep 'Unprecedented' Bill Responding to Chinese Aggression
A Senate committee plans to review major bipartisan legislation seeking to curb China’s increasingly “aggressive and assertive” behavior.
The Strategic Competition Act is the first proposal from both Democrats and Republicans that lays out a strategy to defend against Chinese aggression.
“The United States must ensure that all Federal departments and agencies are organized to reflect the fact that strategic competition with the [People’s Republic of China] is the [United States’] top foreign policy priority,” the bill states.
The legislation would punish nations that host Chinese military installations and bolster U.S. diplomatic efforts addressing challenges posed by China around the world.
The bill also addresses issues such as China’s abuse of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, attacks on democracy in Hong Kong and aggression against Taiwan.
It additionally calls for increased military spending in the Indo-Pacific region.
“I am incredibly proud to announce this unprecedented bipartisan effort to mobilize all U.S. strategic, economic, and diplomatic tools for an Indo-Pacific strategy that will allow our nation to truly confront the challenges China poses to our national and economic security,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Menendez said in a statement on Thursday.
“The United States government must be clear-eyed and sober about Beijing’s intentions and actions, and calibrate our policy and strategy accordingly,” he said.
Republican Sen. James Risch of Idaho co-sponsored the legislation. The committee is slated to review the bill on April 14.
In March, Risch and eight Republican colleagues introduced their own bill aimed at curbing Chinese influence and aggression.
“Any legislation that aims to confront this threat must address the full range of challenges posed by the CCP and marshal broad bipartisan support,” Risch said in a statement.
Menendez’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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