AMAC Exclusive – By Shane Harris
In an unusual primetime hearing on Tuesday night, a newly formed House committee focused on competition with China described the U.S. relationship with the communist country as an “existential struggle,” highlighting an increasingly hardline stance from Republicans towards Beijing.
Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, Republican leadership pledged action to hold China accountable for a slate of offenses, ranging from intellectual property theft to human rights abuses and continued obfuscation on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The House GOP took the first step toward delivering on that promise in January by forming the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
In a Fox News op-ed outlining the mission of the committee, Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) wrote that U.S. leaders “must recognize that China’s ‘peaceful rise’ was pure fiction and finally confront the CCP with the urgency the threat demands.” According to Gallagher, this effort includes bringing supply chains out of China and back to the United States, ending American dependence on Chinese rare earth minerals, countering China’s debt-trap diplomacy, combatting intellectual property theft, and exposing Beijing’s attempts to infiltrate American businesses and academic institutions.
The committee’s inaugural hearing Tuesday took place amid a backdrop of heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing following the spy balloon drama that gripped the country for more than a week in February and the release of a new report earlier this week in which the Department of Energy concluded, along with the FBI, that a lab leak was the most likely origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his opening remarks, Gallagher described competition with China as “an existential struggle over what life will look like in the 21st century — and the most fundamental freedoms are at stake.”
“Just because this Congress is divided, we cannot afford to waste the next two years lingering in legislative limbo or pandering for the press. We must act with a sense of urgency. Our policy over the next 10 years will set the stage for the next hundred,” Gallagher said.
Countering China has been a rare opportunity for bipartisan collaboration this Congress. The resolution to create the Strategic Competition Committee passed overwhelmingly 365-65, with 146 Democrats joining Republicans to approve the measure. House Speaker McCarthy has also stressed the importance of bipartisan cooperation on the issue, saying that “we want the very best ideas, and it doesn’t matter where they come from.”
However, it is undoubtedly Republicans who have moved the political consensus toward a more hardline stance on China. In 2020, Democrats rejected a similar effort by House Republicans to create a bipartisan China task force. Democrats also labeled any criticism of China’s handling of COVID as “racist” and a “conspiracy theory” throughout 2020 and 2021, and have repeatedly downplayed the threat from Chinese infiltration into American universities.
It was only thanks to persistent Republican efforts in the face of relentless media attacks that the American people and the world finally learned the truth about the CCP’s suspicious actions in the months leading up the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. As Republicans have demanded more transparency, public opinion has rapidly shifted in favor of a “tough-on-China” approach that Democrats carefully avoided just a few years ago. House Republicans’ decision to hold Tuesday’s hearing in primetime rather than the usual daytime slot is yet another reflection of the importance with which the GOP is treating the issue.
Despite this newfound sense of bipartisan cooperation, however, the hearing was not without drama, as the proceedings were temporarily disrupted by protestors. At least two protestors entered the hearing room, one with a sign reading “China is not our enemy.” A press release from the group CODEPINK: Women for Peace, which claimed credit for organizing the protest, said that “the formation of this committee and these hearings do nothing but drive hate on Asian Americans,” and “our common enemy is the climate crisis.”
Once the protestors were escorted from the chamber, one of the committee’s witnesses, former Trump national security advisor General H.R. McMaster (ret.), said that such protests are an example of how China’s United Front Work Department – a secretive branch of the CCP that attempts to influence people and organizations outside China – attempts to sway public opinion in favor of China and against the United States. “Just the scale of what they’re doing from an economic perspective and from an espionage perspective, I think is unprecedented,” McMaster said.
Moving forward, Gallagher has said that, instead of the traditional long report usually issued by select committees, the committee will issue a number of smaller reports recommending specific legislation. Gallagher hopes that input from Republicans and Democrats will ensure that the proposed bills can pass a divided Congress.
Chinese officials were incensed over the hearing on Wednesday, calling it “cold war thinking” tainted by “ideological bias.” Based on that reaction, it seems a good bet that House Republicans are over the target.
Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. You can follow him on Twitter @Shane_Harris_.
One way to affect the nuisance and subtle snooping of China is to start cutting off trade, including third party trade, with China. The Commie government of China knows that stealing from the Chinese public is not nearly as profitable as stealing from the USA!!!! And I would let it be known that if China sends anymore baloons across the USA, intentionally or unintentionally, consequences to their dislike will result. In spite of what many USA gurus on economics would say, the USA does not really need China’s trade …. but China needs USA trade (without it economic conditions in China would crash and wide spread displeasure would befall the citizenry).
BTW, if Chinese officials are incensed over anything done by US governance, a few trade restrictions might be a good calming effect of the phony Chinese displeasure. It seems that China’s “displeasure” is publicly exposed tends to implicate that China thinks they rule the USA to some extent (especially the liberal DemocRat Party).
Cover A-Z on China
We don’t need to hate anyone. What we need is MADE IN AMERICA again.
The USA pushed China up to counter Russia. Who do we NOW pick to counter China???
Pro Chinese demonstration at a congressional committee.
That says enough how Brandon has been bought by Xi.
30 million is the price old Joe sold his soul and America for.
Jack*ss Joe Biden deserves to be brought up on charges of TREASON but I doubt it will happen with this gutless bunch of Republicans in office!
As I said, stay out of wal-mart. Kyle L.
Republicans. Long on words, short on actions. By the time anything gets done we’ll be part of the one-world government and speaking Chinese. Too bad, so solly, America.
A committee to investigate attempts to infiltrate Are they all a bunch of Rip van Winkles?
How about we pass a law banning the ChiComs from buying our homes and land? They are partially responsible for absurd rise in home prices, as they offer to pay waaay higher than asking prices in order to acquire more of our country. And you can bet your last dollar their land acquisitions, along with half billion acres now owned by evil traitor kiIIBillGates, will contribute to coming food shortages.
The Republic-HATING Commie DemoncRats are putting the pieces in place for real food insecurity across the country. Mysterious food production plant fires, slaughter of animals, pushing chemical laden unhealthy meat substitutes…all happening…our own government creates havoc in the supply chain, passes absurd $trillion bills diverting money to everything but what the bill was ostensibly to be for (about 10% actually will go to infrastructure), hands money/stuff to a corrupt country (where there is zero accounting of it, and where they used some to pay THEIR pensions! But Zel will keep corrupt traitor joe’s secrets of nefarious dealings as long as he bows to Zel’s demands), and to ILLEGALS (while ignoring legal suffering citizens), deliberately keeps borders open so drugs freely flow, kids are used, and unvetted counter-culture parasites, even felons are shuttled to red areas where they will be illegally voting, and STILL demands we are injected with a known poison mRNA mystery concoction indemnified from lawsuits, as millions have health problems and/or die. Unless these things are halted, prepare as best you can, or suffer, hell on earth is coming (for us, not them)!!!
The Neocon globalist idea of encouraging capitalism in China, and thus bringing about an end to their communist regime, by gutting the USA of jobs is a total failure. It has been the biggest mistake ever made. China is not our friend and neither is Mexico.
Love & Hate Relationship With China ~ Corporations love the cheap labor; yet, they hate the inferior quality of goods produced. China loves us for buying their exports; but they hate us so much it is their deepest desire to genocide us. ‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.’ We ‘feed’ their country buying their ‘crap’ products. They want to reward us; by exposing us to toxic microbes. There is a money exchange on all levels; pharmaceuticals, commodities, plastics, textiles and metals…Both countries Love to Hate; to Love to Hate; Each Other! Whatever happened to Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’? May God Let His Light Shine On Us!
The Democrats are very skilled at “defamatory labeling” when someone disagrees with them or catches them in an uncompromising position! It starts at the top and flows downhill. How is it that a citizen like Martha Stewart can be indicted and jailed for ‘criminal activity’ when we can’t touch politicians! To quote kids, “That isn’t fair!!”
Obama’s useful IDIOT doesn’t care, Democrats, they think he’s brilliant, look at the blue states,crime is way up, they don’t know the difference between equity and equality,Commie China doesn’t have rights.the Dems don’t care, Biden will say anything for Power, we all know Biden and his Family is compromised by China, Biden calling IX his OLD friend? Remember the riots in in the Western States, the Liberal states, sorry i’m digressing, when Antifa stormed the Police stations, the political Govt. was weak and did nothing,then antifa and Commie Black lives Matter were violenting protesting in Minn. Kamala Harris bailing the violent protesters out, John Kerry wanting Open Borders, Kerry is now the climate CZAR..the Dems love him including wanna be scientist AL Gore, face turning red at the WEF? Biden Opening the Borders and closing the XL pipeline< I know i’m ranting again i apologize, thank you Amac!! 1 last thing, Fund the Police, Biden Administration is Woke through out, I can’t stand Shumer he and he dems think they can Tax and Spend their way out of anything, Shumer’s Snake Oil is reaking havoc in this great country. don’t forget the blunder in Afghantistan, Commie China along with Russia, Iran were watching, Bidens WOKE administration from Kirby, Blinken Sullivan Austin, and last but, not Least Milley, all of them working for the Dem party. thank God the republcans won the house, Trump had the world relatively at peace, i felt comfortable with him, we need to win the Senate now, I don’t like Mconnell because his wife has a shipping business in China, there’s so much more to say!! Time to get busy with my own life stay vigilant people
The Chinese are playing hardball and the U.S. has a wifille ball bat. Time to play hardball
and play to WIN.
Why is it Congress needs an upcoming election to come to these conclusions about China? I’ve known, as so many other Americans have known, that China has been stealing our intellectual, corporate and military secret’s for years, if not decades. What they haven’t stolen, we’ve given to them.
Most of us have also figured out where the Covid virus came from despite what the CDC, Dr. Fauci and the White House kept telling us about it’s origins, or lack there of.
I’m beginning to feel like I’m in a nightmare that’s never ending…they must think we’ve all been dumbed down and that it doesn’t matter what they tell us, we’ll all just go along with the current scenario that’s given to us.
It’s funny the Dems and the Republicans don’t have a problem working together when it’s something like voting on a pay raise or voting for trillions of dollars worth of pork that the country doesn’t need. I feel like we’re being sold down the drain by both parties and only a few of our elected official’s are actually working for the good of the country.
We never should have allowed practically everything to be made in China, especially critical items like medicine and medical supplies. We should have cracked down on all the stealing years ago by implementing tougher security measures and stricter sentencing when caught…the death penalty comes to mind. I realize everything’s made in China because of greed and love for the almighty dollar, but to cut off your nose to spite your face, never has made any sense.
Before I ramble on longer, let me ask this. Why has it taken the government or at least half the government so long to come to the conclusion that China is not our friend? I can tell you why, because we’re being lead by morons.
No wonder Xi always appears to have a smile on his face.
the rinos can’t hit the broadside of a barn.
Excellent article.
China is NO a competitor; it is an ENEMY. Slow Joe brags repeatedly about how many times he smoozes with Xi. I take that as BAD news; not good news. It shows that the fix is in!
They must also look at Hunter Biden-linked Chinese company helping Russian Air Force in Ukraine War.
You have DICTATOR Beijing biden sending over $133 Billion of OUR Tax Dollars (And wanting more money instead of Securing our Borders) to Ukraine and you have Hunter’s Chinese owned company helping Russia.
Both of them playing both sides of the fence while leaving AMERICA
LAST by giving Ukraine OUR MONEY, weapons, and ammunition.
That is TREASON by giving aid and comfort to our enemy.
Both of them should be executed for TREASON since that is the Penalty for TREASON.
NO EXCUSES or photo ops whining and lying about it.
China’s control of education and land in our country needs to be addressed head on. I feel sorry for the Aslan Americans that are affected by the CCP when they are only trying to live in peace. Thanks to the current administration led by the worst president in USA history..we have to do something…thanks to A few of our dedicated senators like Jim Jordan we can only be hopeful this mess will be cleaned up sooner than later. China is and has always been an Enemy…those in government who have profited need to be removed…we all know who they are…
It’s about time. You have to stand up to them or they will slink into everything and then try to make us all commies. Xi is a psychopath. All he does is kill good people and support evil. You can’t be friends with evil bullies. So glad to see some guts for a change. keep it up!
Communism only works well if it can steal from the “haves” and give to the “have nots” (or the political goals of the Party). Dealing with China is like using dynamite sticks in a marathon team race … the big danger is always present, though it seems harmless. The world Democratic governments better learn that dealing with China is like dealing with rattlesnakes … you are at high risk every time you deal with them of getting bit!!!!
The teacher’s unions and the democrat party pose the same level of threats to the USA as China.
Nixon and Carter gave us a wonderful legacy.
I keep asking and have never received a good answer. The Chinese elite wants to be the top dog in the New World Order just as much as the Anglo-American elite wants to be the top dog. Why has the Anglo-American elite been building up the Chinese elite’s power base, China, while tearing down the Anglo-American elite’s power base, the United States? Does the Anglo-American elite hold something over the Chinese elite to keep the Chinese in line? If so, what?
China is our greatest enemy. There. I said it, Republicans See how easy that is? Where were all of them when all our businesses moved manufacturing over there? We funded their military build up.
About time we take America back. China is a country of many human atrocities, prison camps, slave labor, organ black market. Just to name a few. I pray that it’s not too late
Don’t expect too much. The old folks in the GOP can be bought and paid for, too.
I wonder what the true Chinese ancestors with the mantra of always needing to save face would be on this? It seems like the Chinese have moved completely away from needing to save face. We would now call that lieing!
They tried it with Covid. The first thing out of their mouths with Covid is it was the U.S.’ fault. They thought the U.S. would go along with this excuse, which in a way was true. The work at Wuhan was being financed illegally by U.S. actors. But the Chinese were the ones to allow the Wuhan lab to work on projects that are illegal in the U.S.
But I have seen this before with the Koreans. They will lie about a situation to make it look like they had no fault to “save face”. And their Korean vendors, supporting U.S. companies, went along with the lie and paid them for the priveledge of fixing the problem. When in the end, they were the ones at fault, causing the issue designing something without thought.
It sure seems like the Chinese were trying to weaponize the virus. The problem is, they knew this will eventually be considered an act of war. Reperations should be demanded from all actors involved, both China and Fauci, and any other U.S. citizen funding this “gain of function” research.
Actually, the U.S. conspirators should be arrested and tried for their war crimes! We did it to the Germans after the second world war. What makes these war criminals any different. Amazing that they are doctors, like some of the German war criminals, isn’t it? They have no souls!
And this is why , I think, the Chinese are starting to prepare for war, because they would not want to take any responsibility to what they have done to the world and millions of people killed by the virus.
All the Chinese care about is money and power. Hmmmmh, a lot like the U.S. Elites!
Biden is going to be very unhappy that they are attacking his primary source of income!
“China is not our enemy…” No, they are a Communist regime that squeezes as much as they can from other successful non-Commie government Nations. And they watch closely with survey territorial balloons etc.
How come Hunter didn’t Register as a Foreign Agent?
When will we gain the fortitude to arrest for Treason these sleazy creatures of the Swamp???What people need to realize is that the Constitution is basically an Employees Handbook for the Employees we hire, yes we hire them! They submit an application for an available position, all that are eligible may apply!Then on election day, We the People as board members of this Great Corporation/AKA/The United States of America vote for Our Choice of the “Available Applicants”So this employees handbook was written basically as a guidebook for how we want them to behave and handle the things we hired them to do. It tells them of the limited Authorities that they are vested with and it tell them how to conduct “Their Business” and “Ours”Unfortunately it evidently does not teach them how to delineate the difference between the two, I guess mainly because most today are not critical thinkers, or in the alternative they are Absolutely Crooks who’ve made their way to Congress with Nefarious Intentions. Not to Worry, this is not, I repeat THIS IS NOT THE ONLY FOUNDING DOCUMENT, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST FOUNDING DOCUMENT as I said it is the Employee Handbook for those We the People elected to hire. When We the People have a problem I think, AS I WOULD MAKE THE CASE, how we deal with it is not at the discretion of our Employees. No we have The AUTHORITY to grant this power to the Congress we have the AUTHORITY to take it away!!! We have the DOCUMENT that inspired the REVOLUTION and gave birth to the NATION that wrote the employees handbook we Call the CONSTITUTION, as the LAW of the LAND and all you really need to Document and confirm what I’m telling you; is the PreAmble to the said Constitution; but the Document I refer to is “THE DECLARATION of INDEPENDENCE” understanding this IS the answer to the problems we face!!! We could solve our problems in short order, if We the People Would RECLAIM THEIR AUTHORITY UNDER THIS DOCUMENT, REREAD THAT, THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, AT LEAST UNTIL IT DEFINES DUTY!!!!!
The communist Chinese are not to be trusted…not for a second, not for an inch. The US should produce for ourselves everything that is necessary for our survival.
It’s no secret that China seeks world dominance. They are playing the” long game”. So far a peaceful play. So far.
It was the Japanese who caught the United States unaware at Peril Harbor and now its been the CCP coming in the back door, so to speak, stealthy obtaining what they need, to become a rival power to be reckoned with. The sad part, they probably already are. They have bought up hundreds of prime farm land here in America,recruited scientists from Los Alamos to build their nuclear arsenal and are you ready for this, at the expense of US tax payers. They have also been successful in corrupting high Government officials here at home. As for introducing legislation, the veto pen awaits on the Big guy’s desk. All bad news. If there’s to be any hope at all, elected Senators and Congressmen,be they Democrat or Republican,had better unite in numbers sufficient to over ride the veto pen. Unlike Peril Harbor, at least Washington and per this article, attention is focused on the existential threat America is facing and it’s about time!
Sounds like something that just might bring the country together.