Today’s release of the House China Task Force (CTF) report signals Washington’s latest salvo aimed squarely at the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CTF was launched this past May, and brings together select members from key House committees to help reinforce congressional efforts to counter current and emerging cross-jurisdictional threats from China. Its 15 members and dozens of staff issued 82 key findings and 430 associated recommendations to support their comprehensive report, which focused along six pillars: Ideological Competition, Supply Chain Security, National Security, Technology, Economics and Energy, and Competitiveness.
While the CTF is comprised solely of House Republican members, it is important for those reading this report and considering its recommendations to note that the task force was originally conceived as a bipartisan effort. The CTF went to extreme lengths to ensure the report remained bipartisan and its recommendations serve as a policy blueprint no matter which political party holds power. This is evidenced by the executive summary’s focus on humanitarian rights violations, 5G telecommunications security, increased investments in science and technology and STEM, and support for more secure and resilient supply chains in health care and semiconductors—all bipartisan priorities.
It was only four or five years ago when Washington’s national security establishment was laser-focused on China building man-made islands in the South China Sea, arming them with military assets and building runways to support military aircraft. Readers may be intrigued, then, that such a comprehensive report does not mention the South China Sea in its executive summary, and offers only two recommendations on the subject. China has moved at such a rapid pace that no private or public sector interest is immune to its actions.
With 430 recommendations, the report offers insights that impact nearly every domestic industry and interest. The Brownstein team is keeping a watchful eye on two recommendations in particular: one that calls for omnibus legislation dealing with CCP competition with the United States, and one that calls for CCP competition to drive decision-making around all federal resource allocation. The implications for these two recommendations alone on industry messaging, committee jurisdictional battles and federal resource realignment will have far-reaching impacts, should they be introduced in future legislation.
The bipartisan policy proposals in the CTF’s report will have staying power for as long as competition between the United States and CCP exists. Our bipartisan team of professionals is in a unique position to provide objective analysis and effective engagement as the government considers these recommendations moving forward.
To read the full report, click here.
