Congressional China Caucus

Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04), Chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee and Co-Chairman of the Congressional China Caucus, released the following statement after the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission released its annual report to Congress with recommendations for U.S. action:

"This year's U.S.-China Commission report to Congress further confirms that China is strategically positioning itself to militarily and economically challenge U.S. influence and capabilities in the Asia Pacific.  China remains steadfast in its commitment to build up the Chinese military, increasing its defense budget to bolster regional dominance and intimidate its neighbors.  In addition, the report makes it abundantly clear that China is actively seeking to exploit the United States' military vulnerabilities as the U.S. government fails to stop the theft and voluntary forfeiture of American technology to Chinese state-owned companies.

"And while China is building aircraft carriers, stealing American technology, and actively seeking 'space supremacy,' Congress is busy dismantling the United States military with arbitrary budget cuts that could total a trillion dollars, diminishing its Navy to World War I levels, and effectively forfeiting U.S. leadership in space.  Those eager to gut the defense budget ought to think twice before ceding U.S. regional influence in the Pacific to an authoritarian nation that violates basic human rights, flagrantly disregards the very notion of intellectual property, and routinely disregards the sovereignty of other nations," said Forbes. 

Key Findings of the Report

• "China maintains policies of forced technology transfer in violation of international trade agreements and requires the creation of joint venture companies as a condition of obtaining market access."
• "Since January 2011, China has conducted a flight test of its next-generation fighter aircraft, continued development of its antiship ballistic missile, and conducted a sea trial of its first aircraft carrier."
• "The primary objective of the Chinese Communist Party is to remain in power.  All other goals are intended to serve that end, including the enormous resources dedicated to repressing dissent."
• "China has identified the U.S. military’s reliance on information systems as a significant vulnerability and seeks to use Chinese cyber capabilities to achieve strategic objectives and significantly degrade U.S. forces’ ability to operate."
• "Continued improvements in China’s civil aviation capabilities, enhance Chinese military aviation capabilities because of the close integration of China’s commercial and military aviation sectors."
• "Many of the PLA’s evolving capabilities appear aimed at directly countering U.S. military capabilities or to exploit potential weaknesses in U.S. military capabilities."
• "The cross-Strait military balance continues increasingly to favor China, making it less likely that a peaceful resolution to the Taiwan issue will occur."  

A full copy of the report is available here.