House of Representatives Vote To Create China Committee To Counter Beijing's Growing International Influence

The United States House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday in support of the creation of a select committee on China that would work to counter Beijing's growing international influence.

The vote is the first win of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy after a tumultuous start of Republican control of the House. Lawmakers voted 365 to 65 in favor of a resolution to establish the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. It will work on investigating the issue and make policy recommendations.

Select Committee on China

All of the 65 lawmakers who voted "no" came from Democrats, some of whom argued that they were concerned that the Republican-led panel would be too partisan. On the other hand, 146 Democratic officials voted in favor of the new committee.

Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern, who is a co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which is a grouping of House members and senators that studies China policy, said that he would support the creation of the select committee despite concerns that the GOP would be too partisan, as per Reuters.

McGovern said that they did not want it to turn into a place that perpetuates anti-Asian hate, citing past rhetoric, including that of former US President Donald Trump's labeling of COVID-19 as the "China virus." McCarthy insisted that the committee would not be partisan, noting that it was his commitment.

The House speaker said that the proposed committee would address certain issues such as bringing jobs back from China to the United States, securing intellectual property, and bringing supply chains back to the American nation.

Furthermore, there has been growing tension in US-China relations. over the huge trade deficit with Beijing, Chinese pressure on Taiwan, and Beijing's transparency over its handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

China's Growing International Influence

According to Fox News, McCarthy said that they have spent decades passing policies that welcomed China into the global system. However, he said that Beijing responded with oppression, aggression, and anti-Americanism. He also noted that China's military and economy are growing at the expense of freedom and democracy worldwide.

The House speaker said that the situation did not start under the current administration but noted that it was made worse. He argued that policies have weakened the country's economy and made the U.S. more vulnerable to the threat of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). McCarthy said that there was a bipartisan consensus that the era of trusting communist China is over.

McGovern also argued that Trump mislabeled the COVID-19 pandemic with racist language, arguing that such hate-based rhetoric coincided with acts of violence and discrimination against people of Chinese or Asian descent across the U.S.

The committee will have 16 members, nine of whom will be Republicans while the remaining seven will come from the Democratic Party. It will be chaired by Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, who is a leading voice in the GOP caucus on Chian issues.

Gallagher signaled the committee's bipartisan approach right from the top, leading off his statements by quoting President Joe Biden's top diplomat. Citing Secretary of State Antony Blinken's remarks last year, China is the only nation with the intent to reshape the international order, CNBC reported.