The U.S. House of Representatives will consider new legislative initiatives against China on May 6. The bills mainly deal with export controls, alleged human rights violations, national defense, and economic espionage.
The bill, introduced by McCormick in February 2025, would impose sanctions on individuals who engage in trade espionage, provide assistance to opposing militaries, or violate U.S. export laws.
Within 30 days of the enactment of this Act, the President of the United States is authorized to impose the following types of sanctions on persons convicted of economic espionage under this Act:
- Blocking of Property – Exercise of all powers granted to the President by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions involving property or interests in property of a foreign person, if such property or interests in property are located in the United States or are owned or controlled by a person resident in the United States.
- Ineligibility for Visas, Admissions, or Parole – Inadmissibility to the United States; Revocation of the right to a visa or other document to enter the United States; Cancellation of any visa or other document granting entry into the country, regardless of when the visa or other document was issued or whether it was issued.
The anti-China bills have bipartisan support, with Republicans actively blaming China for what they say is hindering Trump’s peace efforts in Ukraine. As Representative Brian Mast, a Republican from Florida, put it, “the Chinese Communist Party is relentlessly undermining President Trump’s efforts to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
The “Falun Gong Protection Act,” introduced by Perry on February 24, 2025, that is also being considered on May 6, would impose sanctions on Chinese individuals involved in the forced organ harvesting and other forms of violence against Falun Gong practitioners, a religious group considered a cult by Beijing. The sanctions are aimed at forcing the Chinese Communist Party to end any state-sponsored organ harvesting campaign.
In an effort to strengthen relations with Taiwan, a key concern of China, the House of Representatives is also considering amending the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019 to require the United States, as a member of any international organization, to oppose any attempt by the People’s Republic of China to resolve the issue of Taiwan’s status through procedural distortions, unlawful language, or policies. The amended bill would require the State Department to review U.S.-Taiwan relations and report back at least every five years. The Taiwan International Solidarity Act also requires the preparation of an annual report on China’s attempts to diplomatically isolate Taiwan and obliges US officials to call on international partners to resist, if necessary.
