Exterior view of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC, on September 9, 2024.
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From drones to drugs, House members try to paint themselves as tough China They returned to work this week with more than two dozen measures aimed at countering Beijing’s technological, political and economic influence.
The 28 mostly Republican-led bills introduced during “China Week” have been criticized by Democrats as a ploy to get Republicans to be tougher on China, a key foreign policy issue, in the final weeks before the November election. question. But with the world’s second-largest economy viewed primarily as a geopolitical rival, many of the measures have bipartisan support and are one of the few issues on which Republicans and Democrats can agree.
“Members now see few negative risks from taking a tougher stance on China,” said Craig Singleton, senior China researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank.
China said the legislation could put pressure on what the two countries call one of the world’s most important bilateral ties, although Beijing and Washington Take steps to improve relationships. It vowed to take “strong and effective measures” in response.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, speaks with reporters after a House Republican meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024.
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All legislation must also be passed by the Senate before being sent to the president Joe Biden Signed into law.
It’s unclear how many measures would do that, given the limited number of days the Senate is in session for the rest of the year. But Singleton said their success in the House could pave the way for stronger regulations in the next Congress.
Here are some of the most noteworthy measures approved:
biotechnology company
One of the first bills to pass, the Biosafety Act, would ban federal contracts with several Chinese biotech companies and companies that do business with them, a measure that supporters say is important to protecting Americans’ genetic and other It is necessary that health data not be stolen by Beijing.
The Chinese companies, which conduct cancer research and produce products for U.S. drugmakers, said data privacy was not at risk and that the measure would limit competition.
“We are disappointed that the U.S. legislative process is being used to pick winners and losers,” Shenzhen-based BGI said in a statement.
A spokesman for WuXi AppTec, another target company, said the company was “deeply concerned about the impact of the legislation on U.S. leadership in biotechnology innovation, drug development and patient care.”
Hongkong
Lawmakers overwhelmingly pass bill that could trigger shutdowns HongkongEconomic and trade offices in Washington, New York and San Francisco will be subject to sanctions if they are found not to enjoy a “high degree of autonomy” from China. The authorities have Suppress dissent On Chinese soil, the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under the principle of “one country, two systems” since massive anti-government protests in 2019.
The Hong Kong government criticized the bill on Wednesday as being politically motivated, saying the normal operation of the trade office was “mutually beneficial to both places” and that closing the trade office would “ultimately harm the interests of the United States.”
drone
Another bill would ban new drones from Chinese manufacturer DJI from operating on U.S. communications infrastructure, citing national security risks, but the company has rejected it.
DJI accounts for more than half of U.S. drone sales, May says Lawmakers “amplified xenophobic rhetoric in a bid to support local drone manufacturers and eliminate competition in the market.” It added that the move would not only harm U.S. enthusiasts but also “operators, businesses and public safety agencies.” Extensive ecosystem”.
China said the United States should “stop using various excuses to suppress Chinese companies.”
New “China Initiative”
Lawmakers are more divided over efforts to revitalize the Justice Department. “China Initiative” A Trump-era national security plan aimed at combating intellectual property theft at universities and research institutions. Asian American advocacy groups say the plan unfairly targets Chinese scientists and turned their lives upside downand ended in 2022 after a series of failed prosecutions.
The measure passed the House by a vote of 237 to 180.
Buy farmland abroad
Another bill raising discrimination concerns would restrict the sale of agricultural land to foreigners from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. Supporters say it would tighten oversight of foreign farmland purchases, including near sensitive sites.
one NBC News Commentary The investigation found that Chinese interests own less than one percent of three percent of total U.S. agricultural land.
electric car
Lawmakers narrowly passed a measure that would tighten the definition of Chinese parts, making vehicles ineligible for U.S. electric vehicle tax credits. Opponents argue it will slow U.S. efforts to get more electric vehicles on the road as part of a broader transition to green technology.
Although China leads the world in electric vehicle manufacturing and dominates the EV battery supply chain, few of its electric vehicles are sold in the United States. Tariffs imposed on Chinese electric cars Will increase from 27.5% to 100%.
scientific cooperation
Lawmakers pass bill requiring notification of Congress before renewal or extension technology agreement (STA) or enter into, renew or extend any similar agreement with China.
“For too long, the Chinese Communist Party has used these partnerships to acquire sensitive technology that could threaten our national security,” Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky said after the bill passed.
The STA, the first agreement between China and the United States since the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1979, expired on August 27 after two six-month extensions. Supporters say the deal’s demise will hinder academic cooperation and could jeopardize cooperation between the U.S. and Chinese governments in areas such as climate change and public health.
Janis Mackey Frayer reported from Beijing, and Mithil Aggarwal and PeterGuo reported from Hong Kong.
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