Senate Committee Releases Text of Bipartisan China Legislation

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee released bipartisan legislation that it said will better position the U.S. to compete with China and penalize Chinese human rights abuses. The more than 200-page Strategic Competition Act of 2021, released April 8, would authorize a host of U.S. measures to tackle trade and technology competition issues with China, including sanctions, export controls and increased cooperation with allies on investment screenings. The bill focuses on countering China’s “predatory international economic behavior” and represents an “unprecedented” bipartisan effort, committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said. Menendez said the bill has the support to be “overwhelmingly approved” by the committee next week and the full Senate “shortly thereafter.”

While the bill includes a range of domestic measures -- including provisions to boost the U.S. government’s ability to track violators of intellectual property rights and monitor China’s circumvention of U.S. export controls -- it also would fund more U.S. efforts to work closer with allies. The bill includes annual funding for diplomatic outreach “activities” and urges the U.S. to establish a multilateral export control group with the European Union to restrict China from acquiring sensitive technologies.

Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, the committee’s top Republican, praised the bill but said he looks forward to a “robust and inclusive amendment process” during the markup hearing. “The introduction of this legislation is one important step towards ensuring the United States is postured to compete with China for decades to come,” he said.