It was ‘powerful on China’ week in Congress, one of many few points each events agree on

From drones to medication, Home lawmakers sought to painting themselves as powerful on China as they returned to work this week, taking on greater than two dozen measures aimed toward countering Beijing’s technological, political and financial affect.

The blitz of 28 principally Republican-led payments throughout “China Week” has been criticized by Democrats as a ploy to make Republicans look stronger in opposition to China, a key international coverage subject, within the remaining weeks earlier than the November election. However lots of the measures handed with bipartisan help at a time when viewing the world’s second-largest financial system primarily as a geopolitical rival is without doubt one of the few points each Republicans and Democrats can agree on.

“Members now see little draw back danger in adopting a more durable stance on China,” stated Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow on the Basis for Protection of Democracies, a assume tank based mostly in Washington.

China says the laws might pressure what each international locations have known as one of many world’s most vital bilateral relationships, at the same time as Beijing and Washington take steps to enhance ties. It has vowed to take “sturdy and efficient measures” in response.

All laws should even be handed by the Senate earlier than it may be despatched to President Joe Biden to be signed into regulation.

It’s unclear how lots of the measures will make it that far given the restricted variety of days the Senate is in session for the remainder of the yr. However their success within the Home might pave the best way for even stronger regulatory strikes within the subsequent Congress, Singleton stated.

Listed below are a number of the most notable measures that had been authorised:

One of many first payments to move, the Biosecure Act, would prohibit federal contracts with a number of Chinese language biotech firms and those who do enterprise with them, with supporters saying the measure is important to guard Individuals’ genetic and different well being information from Beijing.

The Chinese language firms, whose work consists of most cancers analysis and manufacturing for American drugmakers, say information privateness shouldn’t be in danger and that the measure will restrict competitors.

“We’re dissatisfied that the U.S. legislative course of is getting used to select winners and losers,” Shenzhen-based BGI Group stated in a press release.

A spokesperson for WuXi AppTec, one other of the focused firms, stated it was “deeply involved concerning the laws’s affect on U.S. management in biotechnology innovation, drug improvement and affected person care.”

Lawmakers overwhelmingly handed a invoice that would result in the closure of Hong Kong‘s financial and commerce workplaces in Washington, New York and San Francisco if they’re discovered to not be operating with a “excessive diploma of autonomy” from China. Authorities have cracked down on dissent within the Chinese language territory, a former British colony that returned to Chinese language rule in 1997 underneath the precept of “one nation, two programs,” since mass anti-government protests in 2019.

The Hong Kong authorities criticized the invoice on Wednesday as politically motivated, saying that ordinary functioning of the commerce workplaces is “mutually helpful to each locations” and that their closure would “finally hurt the pursuits of the U.S.” The Chinese language Overseas Ministry stated Beijing had “lodged stern representations” with the U.S.

One other invoice would bar new drones from the Chinese language producer DJI from working on U.S. communications infrastructure, citing nationwide safety dangers that the corporate has rejected.

DJI, which sells greater than half of all drones within the U.S., stated in Might that lawmakers had “amplified xenophobic narratives in a quest to help native drone producers and eradicate market competitors.” It added that the transfer would damage not simply American hobbyists but additionally a “broad ecosystem of operators, companies and public security companies.”

China stated the U.S. ought to “cease suppressing Chinese language firms underneath numerous pretexts.”

Lawmakers had been extra divided over an effort to revive the Justice Division’s “China Initiative,” a Trump-era nationwide safety program meant to counter mental property theft at universities and analysis establishments. Asian American advocacy teams stated this system unfairly focused ethnic Chinese language scientists and upended their lives, and it led to 2022 after a string of failed prosecutions.

The measure handed within the Home 237-180.

One other invoice that raised discrimination issues would restrict the sale of agricultural land to international nationals from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. Supporters stated it might enhance oversight of international farmland purchases, together with these close to delicate websites.

A overview by NBC Information discovered that the whole quantity of U.S. agricultural land owned by Chinese language pursuits is lower than three-hundredths of 1%.

Lawmakers narrowly handed a measure that might tighten the definition of Chinese language parts that disqualify automobiles from receiving U.S. EV tax credit. Opponents argued that it might gradual U.S. efforts to get extra EVs on its roads as a part of the broader transition to inexperienced expertise.

Although China is a world chief within the manufacture of electrical automobiles and dominates the availability chain for EV batteries, only a few of its EVs are offered within the U.S. In Might, Biden introduced that the tariff on Chinese language EVs would enhance from 27.5% to 100%.

Lawmakers handed a invoice that might require congressional notification earlier than the renewal or extension of the Science and Expertise Settlement (STA) or the creation, renewal or extension of any comparable settlement with China.

“For too lengthy, the Chinese language Communist Social gathering has exploited these partnerships to realize entry to delicate applied sciences that would threaten our nationwide safety,” Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., stated after the invoice’s passage.

The STA, the primary accord between the U.S. and China after they normalized diplomatic relations in 1979, expired on Aug. 27 after two six-month extensions. Supporters say the pact’s lapse would hinder tutorial cooperation and will imperil U.S.-China authorities collaboration in areas reminiscent of local weather change and public well being.

Janis Mackey Frayer reported from Beijing, and Mithil Aggarwal and Peter Guo reported from Hong Kong.