(RepublicanDaily.org) – The question of how to manage the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is becoming more and more pressing for our politicians. There can be little question that the regime’s values are entirely incompatible with America’s own. It’s known, for example, that the CCP engages in mass surveillance of its citizens.
Worryingly, though, Chinese influence is expanding, particularly in terms of technology, leading to fears about a decisive shift in global power and what that might mean for Americans.
The US Innovation and Competition Act
The US Innovation and Competition Act, first introduced as the Endless Frontier Act, represents an initial, bipartisan attempt to address the threat from China. It passed the Senate with 68 votes, indicating reasonably strong backing from the GOP.
The bill contains a range of provisions designed to boost US competitiveness relative to China’s technological development. Rather than trying to compete with the trillions of dollars in spending in this area currently coming out of Beijing, the legislation focuses on directing resources more carefully. It prioritizes government grants and venture capital as funding sources and promotes freedom of competition in the marketplace.
The Countering Communist China Act
There is undoubtedly merit to the logic behind the US Innovation and Competition Act, but some Conservatives feel it doesn’t do enough to challenge China actively. On Thursday, July 29, Breitbart reported that the Republican Study Committee (RSC), led by chairman Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), introduced a competing bill.
The Countering Communist China Act reportedly takes a much tougher approach than its Senate counterpart. Firstly, it would go after the CCP’s influence operations in the United States, making it more difficult for Chinese-backed agencies to access federal government funding. It would also impose sanctions on Chinese firms that steal intellectual property from American organizations and bar offending firms from doing business with American partners in the future. Additionally, it would prohibit American firms from using government subsidies to grow their business interests in China.
The House bill’s sponsors are under no illusions about the proposal’s chances in Congress; they know Democrats will never go for it. The RSC’s intention is to challenge the US Innovation and Competition Act with their bill, highlighting the failure of the Democratic effort to properly defend against growing Chinese power.
So, because of liberal dominance in Washington, many of the RSC’s seemingly common-sense proposals will likely end up on the cutting room floor. However, the bill could serve to start an important discussion about our approach to China, particularly in the context of next year’s midterm elections.
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