Michael McCaul, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, collaborated with a group of fellow lawmakers last week to collectively address a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to dissuade her from establishing connections with the Chinese government. The lawmakers initiated this correspondence in response to emerging reports indicating that Raimondo might be considering involvement in a working group alongside the Chinese government, according to a press release.
"U.S. export control policy toward the PRC should not be up for negotiation, period," the lawmakers wrote. "Decisions on the nature and scope of U.S. export controls should be taken in Washington, not Beijing."
McCaul was joined in the letter by other lawmakers, including Wisconsin Rep. and Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Mike Gallagher; Tennessee Sen. and Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and FinanceBill Hagerty; and California Rep. and Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific Young Kim, according to the press release.
Raimondo is scheduled to visit the People’s Republic of China (PRC), specifically Beijing and Shanghai, from Aug. 27 to 30. This visit follows trips made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other officials. During her visit, Raimondo is scheduled to engage with officials in discussions covering a range of subjects concerning the U.S.-China relationship. These dialogues will include topics like the "commercial relationship, challenges faced by U.S. businesses and areas for potential cooperation," according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Emerging reports suggest that Raimondo might be in the process of forming a working group with the Chinese government to deliberate on "export controls on advanced semiconductors." This prospective group is anticipated to take place later this month following her planned visit to China. However, the establishment of this group would generate controversy, given that Raimondo's role is centered around preventing the PRC from obtaining access to such technology.
"The PRC has no intention of abandoning its Military-Civil Fusion strategy; no intention of allowing U.S. export compliance officers meaningful access to facilities in China; and no intention of abandoning its whole-of-nation effort to achieve independence from western 'chokepoint' technologies," the lawmakers wrote in the letter. "It also has no intention of abandoning its aggressive military buildup or its genocide against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims. And yet, U.S. officials continue to behave as if meaningful progress in U.S.-China relations is one 'working group' away from a breakthrough."
"It is time for U.S. officials to accept that China has no intention of abandoning its policies that led to expanded U.S. export controls in the first place," the lawmakers wrote. "In this vein, we urge you, prior to your trip, to publicly clarify that U.S. export controls are non-negotiable and that the PRC should expect more, not less, U.S. export controls moving forward. "
