The US House of Representatives launched the “China Week” legislative action starting from this Monday, September 9th, and as of Thursday, September 12th, a total of 28 bills related to China have been passed, with 15 bills receiving strong bipartisan support. These bills mainly focus on US-China technological competition and the protection of American national security.
Lawmakers from both parties have expressed that this series of bills regarding China this week is just the beginning, and they will continue their efforts to counter the challenges posed by the Chinese Communist Party through legislation.
On Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the legislative achievements of the week in a written statement. He stated that the House has passed legislation to “protect the American people, infrastructure, and intellectual property from the infringement by the Chinese Communist Party.”
He further added, “But our work is not done here. I will continue to push for further legislation to address investments and other predatory practices related to China (CCP). Faced with growing threats, we will continue to push for measures to ensure national security.”
Johnson emphasized during a speech at the Hudson Institute on July 8th this year, “Because currently, China (CCP) poses the greatest threat to global peace, Congress must focus its energy and use all means at our disposal to combat China (CCP).”
The 28 bills passed this week cover various areas including Hong Kong issues, Taiwan issues, Chinese biotechnology companies, drones, electric vehicle battery manufacturing, such as:
– “Countering CCP Drones Act, H.R. 2864,” which prohibits the operation of new drones from Chinese drone manufacturer DJI in the US.
– “Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act, H.R. 8631,” which prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from purchasing batteries from six Chinese companies.
– “Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act, H.R. 9456,” which requires a national security review of the purchase of US farmland by citizens of countries like China and Russia.
– “Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act, H.R.1103,” which revokes privileges of Hong Kong’s economic and trade offices.
– “DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act, H.R.1516,” which prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from funding Confucius Institutes, among other entities.
Chairman of the House Subcommittee on China Issues and Republican Congressman from Michigan, John Moolenaar, stated in an interview with Voice of America that the message the House wants to convey to China is that “The American people want to see a world of freedom, fair trade, and security for our country and allies. We will continue to move forward and do everything possible to protect this way of life.”
He further mentioned, “We will continue the legislative work every week. This week, we focused on addressing the strategic competition with China (CCP). But we will continue the efforts because the threats won’t disappear, and it is important that we adjust our strategy based on the current situation.”
Chief Democratic member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Gregory Meeks, stated to Voice of America, “I believe we must send a message to China (CCP) that we will not tolerate anything that involves our national security. We will stand up, hold them accountable when they violate laws regarding our national security, when they attempt to steal intellectual property, when they intrude on the privacy of American citizens.”
Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania Scott Perry told Voice of America, “From now on, this is a good starting point, but we still have a long way to go. We need to stop a malicious China (CCP) from prevailing over America from every level, every action, every opportunity.”
Federal Congressman Keith Self from Texas, who is also a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said to Voice of America, “America will not tolerate their (CCP) interference in US domestic politics, civil society, agriculture, and biotechnology fields.”
Wesley Hill, director of the International Tax and Investment Center’s International Projects, told Voice of America that the extensive voting on bills related to China this week sends the most significant signal to all observers – the continuity of US-China policy. He stated that whether under the Trump administration or the Harris administration, the policies towards China are generally similar, with possible minor disputes on strategic details, but no significant differences in strategy.
According to the US Constitution, after these bills are passed in the House of Representatives, they need to be sent to the Senate for further discussion, and after obtaining a majority vote, the President’s signature is required for them to become formal laws.