WASHINGTON— U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) this week introduced the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Act of 2019, legislation to help ensure the U.S. government and Congress are prepared to face the multiple challenges posed by China. Specifically, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Act of 2019 implements the key recommendations of the 2018 report of the bipartisan U.S.-China Economic and Security Commission.
“We must develop a comprehensive strategy to confront the unprecedented challenge that the Chinese government poses to U.S. national security, U.S. intellectual property, and U.S. businesses,” Senator Romney said. “By putting into place the recommendations of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, this bill takes a step in the right direction and puts safeguards in place to confront the critical threat China poses.”
“From its unfair trade practices to its rapid military expansion, China now presents security, economic, and political challenges to the United States unlike any we’ve faced before,” said Senator Coons. “China is acting swiftly and aggressively to expand its power and influence around the globe, and Congress must do its part to ensure the United States is positioned to work with China where we can, but also, push back where we must.”
“For too long, the United States has failed to address the challenge that China poses to our economy, our allies in East Asia, and to international norms on human rights and civil liberties. It is now clear that a new approach is needed, and this bill will begin to lay the foundation for a reassessment of the U.S.-China relationship. Although I believe we should cooperate with China to resolve pressing global issues, we cannot shy away from defending U.S. interests and the international system that has brought peace and prosperity to the Pacific region,” said Senator Kaine.
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;
- Require 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;
- Require 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;
- Require 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;
- Require the National Counterintelligence and Security Center to report on the influence and propaganda activities of the Chinese Communist Party in the United States;
- Require the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to assess the implications of changes in the command structure of the Chinese Coast Guard;
- Require the Department of Commerce and Federal Communications Commission to identify steps required to roll out a secure 5G wireless network;
- Require the Comptroller General to assess potential risks involved in U.S.-China technical cooperation;
- Require the Department of the Treasury to report on China’s enforcement of UN sanctions on North Korea;
- Require 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.