Key points
- China denies violating minority rights
- Bills stress security, rights issues
- Hard line on China a rare bipartisan issue in divided Congress
ISLAMABAD: US senators from the Democratic and Republican Parties are planning to introduce legislation this week targeting China over its treatment of minority groups, dissidents and Taiwan.
China has consistently denied violating minority rights and lays full claim to Taiwan as its integral part.
The US lawmakers are emphasising security and human rights as President Donald Trump focuses on trade with Beijing.
According to Reuters, the three bills have Democratic and Republican sponsors.
Biggest economies
Trump’s push to reach economic agreements between the world’s two biggest economies has strong support in the US Congress, especially from his fellow Republicans, but has prompted some China hawks to worry that the US government is de-emphasising security issues.
“It does appear that President Trump is keen to negotiate some kind of deal with China, and gaps are opening between his approach to China and the approaches of some members of his team, as well as with Congress, which overall has been quite hawkish on China,” said Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
The desire for a hard line on China is one of the few truly bipartisan sentiments in the perennially divided Congress, even as many lawmakers support Trump’s efforts to rebalance the bilateral trade relationship.
It does appear that President Trump is keen to negotiate some kind of deal with China, and gaps are opening between his approach to China and the approaches of some members of his team.” – Asia expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States Bonnie Glaser
“The United States cannot afford to be weak in the face of the People’s Republic of China and its aggression around the world,” said Democrat Jeff Merkley of Oregon, a lead sponsor of all three bills.
“No matter who is in the White House, America’s values of freedom and human rights must remain at the heart of a clear and principled vision that guides our leadership on the global stage,” Merkley said in a statement.
