US House ‘China Week’ aims to weaponize legislation to score political points: experts

Photo taken on Dec 8, 2022 shows the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC, the United States. Photo:Xinhua

The US House of Representatives is speeding up voting this week on up to 28 bills that target China, touching on a slew of issues including Hong Kong-related affairs, and restrictions on Chinese biotech companies, drones and electric vehicles (EVs), in a move that Chinese experts see as weaponizing legislative measures and using China as a "bargaining chip" to gain more political points. 

In response to a bill passed on Monday that aims to restrict business with Chinese biotechnology firms under the excuse of "national security," Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday voiced firm opposition to such discriminatory actions.  

"China Week," a term coined by US media, shows all-out attempts to suppress China's development and influence to bolster American allies in the Asia-Pacific, according to media reports.

The bills include measures against Chinese biotech firms, EVs and drones, limiting Chinese nationals from purchasing farmland, more export controls, and reinstating an initiative to combat so-called espionage targeting US intellectual property.

The measures in the bills that relate to China mainly focus on restrictions concerning China's role in global supply chains, as the Republicans are trying to create obstacles for China in key areas aiming to limit China's development speed and influence, Lü Xiang, a research fellow from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

Given the recent visit by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to Beijing, which indicates the Biden administration's will to stabilize China-US ties, the US House's legislation aims to sabotage and undermine Democrats' performance on the diplomatic front and foster intra-party unity within GOP, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

"These bills only reflect the positions of some extreme anti-China figures, yet they could cause substantial damage to the stability of global supply chains and the interests of American businesses," Li said. 

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