US-China relations are rapidly souring by the day, and new legislation from Senate Democrats shows the anti-China sentiment is not just coming from one side of the aisle. The new bill, announced on Thursday, will provide $350 billion to counter Beijing.
The plan is mostly focused on building up science and technology industries in the US to make the country less reliant on China’s supply chains. The bill will allocate up to $300 billion over four years to boost US research and development in science and technology. Another $16 billion will be invested into the US semiconductor industry, an area where the US fears foreign competition.
The legislation would also require the Pentagon to purchase equipment from “friendly nations” rather than China. The bill includes $125 million in military spending for the Indo-Pacific, an area where the Pentagon has requested an extra $20.1 billion from Congress to counter Beijing.
The bill is also part of an effort to punish Chinese officials for alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang. It would require the president and treasury secretary to identify individuals involved in those alleged abuses, which would result in targeted sanctions.
The legislation, called the America LEADS Act of 2020, is led by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ). Senator Schumer said the legislation, “Counteracts the Chinese Communist Party’s predatory trade practices and aggressive military behavior, reinvigorates our alliances and turns the tables by making essential investments in our workers, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers.”
Senate Republicans introduced their own sweeping legislation aimed at Beijing back in July. At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Thursday morning, Senator James Risch (R-ID) said he hopes the Democrats’ new bill could be combined with the Republican version.
Shouldn’t that money be targeted for helping small businesses and the unemployed? Shouldn’t that money also be targeted for battling Covid? Shouldn’t money be SLICED from spending on the military, the MIC? Am I missing something here. It appears that the help is aimed at large corporations, tech corporations and not Main Street.
Chuckie Schumer: “turns the tables by making essential investments in our workers, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers.” What workers? Tech workers? Not workers in face-to-face businesses? Small business owners who are hurting are not “entrepreneurs”?
And then there is debate among the two parties as to IF there should be another stimulus. Covid is not mentioned.
Totally FUBAR.
Money from nowhere. Actually it’s part of the US Space Force funding for which they’re announcing in fits and starts.
Is the US going to import more STEM talent?
Not going to work since China is planning to spend 1.4 trillion dollars over the next 6 years on the same thing plus they’ll be spending it on real technology, not $600 toilet seats or $3,000 coffee makers.
You have to borrow money from China to fight China.
I’m sure there’s an app for that.
more evidence that liberals are the most fascist and racist in USA
So if we’re calling democrats liberals, lets call the republicans conservatives. So how are the conservatives talking about China right now?
liberals most support imperialism–most supported war in Vietnam–nazi liberals protest against gun rightsin all European nations the left wing advocates for gun freedom/right wing opposes it…..in USA conservatives oppose covid fascism—despite what US fake news reports, in Europe and S amerika, it is communists/anarchists that protest against covid fascism
You didn’t answer my question.
asking an irrelevant question deserves no answer
It does when you are the one that made it relevant.
Britain decided towards the end of the 19th century that Germany was the greatest threat to its global interests, and so allied itself with France and Russia. This led to the First World War and indirectly the second. Those who started the conflagration in 1914 were blind to the consequences – their own defeat. In capitals today there is an illusion that the growing confrontation between the US and China, over economic dominance, can be resolved without a catastrophe global war. They are blind to the pattern of history and the warning that world wars can no longer be fought: everyone will lose.
https://www.ghostsofhistory.wordpress.com/
The best way to ‘counter’ China is to become an integrated partner in its Belt and Road development.
And what exactly are we going to do if China does not accept US breaking one China policy on Taiwan?
Recent military drills by China in Taiwan straits were described by US as “warning” to Taiwan.
China replied — not a warning but a REHEARSAL.
There is nothing we can do about Taiwan. Should China topple the regime there that violates the rules — I cannot see what can US do. If US takes a single military step, it risks losing its fleet, and any escalation would risk US mainland. Would such risk be worth risking lives at home.
Taiwan is Chinese. They are both Chinese. The slow process of reunification is best. It can take hundred years, so what? We can trade with both to our advantage. What is this urge to show off? China’s development cannot be derailed this way — so is there a point?
“And what exactly are we going to do if China does not accept US breaking one China policy on Taiwan?”
Washington is no more bound by Beijing’s policy on Taiwan than Beijing is bound by Washington’s policy on Taiwan.
The question is whether Taiwan will be ruled by either’s policy. Its people seem to prefer the US policy to rule by Beijing (a rule that has not been exercised for 125 years now).
Waste of Money…! By the time US catches up with today’s Chinese technology, China will leap much higher…So the ketchup time is indefinite…!
If we shoot the leaping frog while it’s flying over our head, we’ll crash into it when it hits the ground in front of us. We’d be much better off accepting the ascendance of China and profiting as much as possible from any comparative advantage we have.
Taiwan is China. amerikans have a long history of lying and hypocrisy, like British. they have consistently broken sovereign nations apart and supported Nazis, fascist “dissidents” in order to steal resources and create a geopolitical hegemony..
“world domination manifests itself as an intellectual or if you prefer, cultural diktat. this is why the amerikans have so zealously tried to bring the intellectual and cultural common denominator of the entire world down to their own level. try to convince an American that their values will destroy Russia–you will not be able”. Alexandr Zinoviev
“In my imagination, unlike in actual history, Taiwan is China.”
Fixed, no charge.