US lawmakers prepare a sweeping effort to counter China

US lawmakers plan to introduce legislation next week that would put additional sanctions on Chinese officials, build closer US relations with Taiwan and place more checks on Beijing’s military operations and territorial claims, among other measures intended to counter China. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Democratic chairman, and Jim Risch of Idaho, its senior Republican, said on Thursday that they would introduce the Strategic Competition Act of 2021 for debate by the committee on Wednesday.

“I am incredibly proud to announce this unprecedented bipartisan effort to mobilise all US strategic, economic and diplomatic tools for an Indo-Pacific strategy that will allow our nation to truly confront the challenges China poses to our national and economic security,” Menendez said.

The bill calls for sanctions against Chinese officials accused of “forced labour, forced sterilisation and other abuses in Xinjiang”, where human rights groups cite United Nations reports and witness accounts that as many as 1 million Uygurs and other Muslim minorities are held in “re-education camps”. Beijing has repeatedly denied the allegations, insisting that the camps are vocational training facilities.

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