Ranking Member Risch Opening Statement at Hearing on U.S. China Policy and Strategic Competition

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave the following opening remarks at a full committee hearing on evaluating U.S.-China policy in the era of strategic competition. The witnesses included The Honorable Wendy Sherman, deputy secretary of State, and The Honorable Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs at the U.S. Department of Defense.

Ranking Member Risch gave the following remarks:

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

“For a long time, the China challenge was foremost on our minds. Then along came the Ukraine war which presents new challenges. But, we can’t take our eye off the ball as China is, I think we can all agree, the challenge of the 21st century.

“While this hearing was planned before the unfortunate Chinese spy balloon flyover, last week’s episode highlights just how important addressing this competition really is. 

“China messed up publicly, but this only highlights what it has been doing behind the scenes for years. Every country around the world should take note, because the Chinese will do this to other countries as well. 

“Secretary Blinken’s trip postponement was a good step, but I hope Deputy Sherman that you will shed more light on where we go from here. This was an egregious assault on U.S. sovereignty. It obviously requires a response and a plan going forward.

“Another note, I am concerned that the administration still does not consider Congress a true partner on China. I have heard about a lot of briefings and phone calls from reporters and think tanks since late last week, but outreach to the Hill has been sloppy at best. 

“I have said for years that we – Republicans and Democrats, the executive and legislative branches – have to work together if we are going to confront what China is doing. Without that, we will not be successful. This is not a partisan issue. This is a bipartisan issue and an American issue.

“The first place where we should demonstrate resolve is through better support for Taiwan. Nothing is more urgent than ensuring Taiwan has the capabilities and training to deter Chinese aggression. If we do not help them prepare now, we may all pay a much higher cost later.

“Another priority this year will be oversight of the implementation for the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act, signed into law last December, but it was not adequately funded in the appropriations process. I was very disappointed in this.

“The Biden Administration said over and over again that it supports security assistance to Taiwan. However, it did nothing to advocate for Taiwan during the appropriations process. Similarly, this committee and Armed Services asked the administration last September for a prioritized list of Taiwan’s military needs. Despite repeated requests, we still do not have the list. 

“Beyond Taiwan, we must counter the CCP’s malign influence, both in the U.S. and abroad. I expect to hear about how the Department addresses issues like influence in universities, Chinese police stations here in the U.S. and in other countries, and corruption.

“I also hope to hear what the administration is doing to counter the flow of Chinese fentanyl into the U.S. via third countries like Mexico. Steps we take domestically of course matter, but China actively avoids actions that could help reduce the supply of chemicals that are illegally sent to the United States. 

“Various parts of the U.S. government – including myself – have asked the Chinese government to take basic steps, like passing a ‘know your customer’ law. The CCP’s response? That it won’t cooperate until we remove a Chinese scientific institute from the Entity List; and that we should just tell U.S. citizens not to do drugs.

“The Chinese government’s tacit endorsement of this massive drug trade is not right. I would hope the Chinese would do more to alleviate human suffering in the U.S. and abroad.

“Finally, I want to highlight my legislative plans related to these challenges. As the chairman has already stated, he and I have met and discussed at length our ideas on China as China is certainly our priority in this legislative session. We’re going to introduce a joint-bill that will include parts of the 2021 Strategic Competition Act.

“Second, today I am reintroducing the ECON Act, designed to help put the United States on the best economic footing to compete with China for the long-term. We have a lot to cover today, so with that, I’ll turn it back to the chairman.”

These remarks have been lightly edited for clarity. Witness testimony is available on foreign.senate.gov.

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