Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian attends a news conference in Beijing, China September 10, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
BEIJING — China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday it rejected a pending U.S. bill to counter China, and that Beijing would safeguard its own interests.
U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer unveiled revised bipartisan legislation last week to approve $52 billion to significantly boost U.S. semiconductor chip production and research over five years to better compete with China.
Representative Gregory Meeks introduced the “Ensuring American Global Leadership and Engagement Act,” or EAGLE Act, as the U.S. Senate separately heads toward a vote on its own legislative package seeking to counter China.
The desire for a hard line in dealings with China is one of the few truly bipartisan sentiments in the deeply divided U.S. Congress, which is narrowly controlled by President Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats.
The Biden administration supports efforts to counter China, with officials repeatedly listing competition with Beijing among their greatest strategic challenges.
The 470-page bill introduced by Meeks addresses a range of issues, including increased investment to promote U.S. manufacturing, trade, work with allies and partners, re-engagement in international organizations, and recognition of the treatment of China’s Uyghur Muslim minority as genocide.
“The United States must coordinate closely with allies and partners to compete effectively with (China), including to encourage allies and partners to assume, as appropriate, greater roles in balancing and checking aggressive (Chinese) behavior,” the legislation said.