Contact: Jordan Dunn
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) today introduced the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Act of 2019. This legislation would implement many of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s recommendations and harness the resources of at least ten government agencies to help counter China’s multifaceted challenges to the United States. Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Mitt Romney (R-UT), and Tim Kaine (D-VA).
“The United States faces no greater economic, political, and security threat than China,” said Rep. Gallagher. “We must act with a sense of urgency to address the malign activities of the Chinese Communist Party and implementing the important recommendations of the U.S.-China Economic and Security commission would serve as an important step in doing so.”
“For too long China has been stealing U.S. technology and jobs with impunity and it is increasingly trying to influence public opinion in the United States,” said Congressman Brad Sherman. “The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Act of 2019 would create a whole-of-government approach to counter China’s whole-of-society challenge.”
Specifically, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Act of 2019 would require:
· The Administration to assess and report on the potential vulnerabilities of the federal supply chain to Chinese threats;
· The U.S. Trade Representative to assess whether it is in the national interest to bring a complaint against China at the World Trade Organization in coordination with U.S. allies and partners;
· The Department of Justice to identify whether members of the Chinese Communist Party are intimidating U.S. residents, and ensure Chinese government publications distributed in the United States are clearly labeled as such;
· The Director of National Intelligence to report on the effect of China’s existing and potential facilities along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the New Maritime Silk Road on freedom of navigation, sea control, and U.S. interests;
· The National Counterintelligence and Security Center to report on the influence and propaganda activities of the Chinese Communist Party in the United States;
· The Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to assess the implications of changes in the command structure of the Chinese Coast Guard;
· The Department of Commerce and Federal Communications Commission to identify steps required to roll out a secure 5G wireless network;
· The Comptroller General to assess potential risks involved in U.S.-China technical cooperation;
· The Department of the Treasury to report on China’s enforcement of UN sanctions on North Korea;
· The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to report on China’s trade-distorting practices and what it is doing to counteract their anticompetitive impact.