U.S. Congress Passes Major Bill to Confront Chinese Communist Party in Seven Key Areas
U.S. Senators from across the aisle recently introduced the “Strategic Competition Act” to confront the Chinese Communist Party, which was passed by the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee with a high vote on the 21st. The bill would counter the Chinese Communist Party in seven areas, including science and technology, military, human rights, economy, and combat of influence.
According to the Central News Agency, the cross-party bill is 281 pages long, comprehensively discussing the scale, scope and urgency of the Chinese Communist Party’s challenge.
One, to help U.S. companies withdraw from China to decentralize their supply chains.
The bill authorizes $15 million per year for fiscal years 2022 through 2027 for U.S. embassies abroad to hire outside experts to assist U.S. companies or individuals in withdrawing from the Chinese market, moving some of their production facilities out of China, or diversifying their supply chains outside of China.
The bill authorizes the Secretary of State to establish an “Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance Network” program to allocate $75 million to promote sustainable, transparent, and high-quality infrastructure development in the Indo-Pacific region.
Two, $300 million per year to counter the Chinese Communist Party
The bill authorizes $300 million per year for fiscal years 2022 through 2026 for the Counter China Influence Fund. The bill also requires the Secretary of State to appoint an official at the Assistant Secretary level or higher to serve as the coordinating officer for policy guidance, coordination, and funding.
The bill authorizes $100 million annually from fiscal years 2022 through 2026 for the U.S. Agency for International Media (USAGM) to fund programs that support media abroad, establish independent media, combat disinformation in China and abroad, and invest in technologies that circumvent speech censorship.
The bill also authorizes $170 million annually over the same period to fund programs to support media freedom, training, and protection of journalists.
Third, it calls for agreements with Taiwan, Japan, Europe and the Five Eyes to combat digital authority
The bill calls on the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office (USTR) to enter into bilateral and multilateral digital trade agreements with the European Union, Japan, Taiwan, members of the Five Eyes Coalition, and other appropriate countries in the face of the rise of the Chinese Communist Party’s “digital authority.
The bill authorizes the Secretary of State to establish a “Digital Connectivity and Network Security Partnership” and allocate $100 million annually between fiscal years 2022 and 2026 to assist emerging markets in expanding secure networks and digital construction, protecting technology assets, and promoting exports of U.S. information and communications technology (ICT) products and services.
Fourth, to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s military expansion and ambitions for Taiwan
The bill calls for the U.S. to strengthen the Indo-Pacific Regional Security Partnership, including supporting Japan’s development of long-range precision firepower and encouraging and facilitating Taiwan’s accelerated acquisition of asymmetric defense capabilities. U.S. foreign policy should give priority to the Indo-Pacific region and allocate resources to achieve U.S. political and military objectives in the Indo-Pacific.
The bill plans to allocate a number of funds to help the U.S. achieve regional goals, including $605 million in foreign military assistance funds from 2022 to 2026.
Five, should strengthen the Taiwan-U.S. partnership
The bill calls for U.S. policy to recognize Taiwan as a vital part of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, and to promote Taiwan’s security and democracy as elements of peace and stability in the “greater Indo-Pacific region,” as well as important U.S. national security interests.
The bill calls for regular U.S. arms sales to Taiwan to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, particularly in the development and integration of asymmetric warfare capabilities. The U.S. should also urge Taiwan to increase its defense spending and provide adequate resources for its own defense strategy.
Sixth, calls for equal treatment of Taiwan and other governments
The bill also makes a rare claim that the U.S. should treat Taiwan the same as other governments and use the same terms and courtesies. However, the bill adds that its contents should not be interpreted as requiring the resumption of diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) or changing the U.S. government’s position on Taiwan’s international status.
Seven, funding for democracy and expanded sanctions in Hong Kong
The bill authorizes $10 million in fiscal year 2022 for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the U.S. Department of State to promote democracy in Hong Kong.
The bill also seeks to amend the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, which took effect last June, to include major human rights violations involving forced labor, systematic rape, forced abortion, forced birth control, and the installation of contraceptive devices, among other things, to be named and sanctioned by the President of the United States.
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