A group of Republican US senators yesterday introduced a bill that would provide “actionable” provisions to help strengthen the US’ strategic positioning against China.
The “STRATEGIC Act of 2024” was proposed by 11 Republican US senators, including Mitt Romney and Jim Risch, who respectively serve as ranking members of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
“The administration is overdue for the development of a comprehensive strategy to address the increasing China threat,” Romney said in a news release.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“While this legislation does not take the place of that need, it includes strong policies that will help the US counter the CCP’s [Chinese Communist Party’s] Belt and Road Initiative, root out the CCP’s malign influence in our educational institutions and strengthen our security alliances in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
Risch emphasized that the bill provides “actionable provisions,” saying that the US Congress has failed to enact policies that would set up the US and its allies for success in its strategic competition with China.
“We cannot wait for more reports and studies — it is time to start implementing policies,” he said in the release.
One of the eight main provisions of the bill would strengthen US support for Taiwan and other countries facing threats from China.
This would include setting up a “Tiger Team” in the state and treasury departments to “start identifying targets for sanctions, export controls [and] other economic measures well before China takes military action.”
The task force would be required to formulate a strategy for identifying targets for sanctions and identifying potential consequences within 180 days of its establishment.
This is similar to the “Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act” passed in the US House of Representatives on Monday last week, which would require the US Department of the Treasury to report on top Chinese leaders’ assets and enables sanctions against them if the US president perceives a substantive threat against Taiwan.
The Senate bill also would require the US government to cease any restrictions on direct and routine interactions with their counterparts in Taiwan, including visits by senior officials, as well as display of national symbols.
To build out war reserve stocks for Taiwan, the bill would also allow for the transfer of obsolete or surplus items to Taiwan, and those intended for use as reserve stock.
The Senate bill comes after the US House last week passed a spate of bills aimed at countering Chinese threats.
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