This week, the House Select Committee on China conducted a hearing titled "United We Stand: Strategies to Counter PRC Economic Coercion Against Democracies." The event featured testimonies from Scott Morrison, former Prime Minister of Australia, and Rahm Emanuel, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
Chairman Moolenaar opened the session with remarks highlighting concerns about China's growing economic influence. He stated, “For too long, we treated China’s rise as an economic opportunity detached from the party’s geopolitical ambitions... But today it’s clear: as trade between the CCP and the free world has grown, so has its appetite for economic leverage and control.”
Scott Morrison emphasized the importance of strengthening alliances in his testimony. "Strengthening and deepening the networks of US alliances and partners is critical to resilience and deterrence," he said. Morrison also noted that U.S. allies must recognize that more will be required of them in these relationships moving forward.
Rahm Emanuel addressed strategic competition in his testimony. "We are in a strategic competition between free nations that innovate and a surveillance state that imitates; between democratic resilience and authoritarian reliance," he stated.
Representative Gimenez expressed strong views on China's role in global trade. "I consider China to be basically a drug dealer. And the world is addicted to Chinese goods... We must decouple from China," he remarked.
During questioning by Representative LaHood, Emanuel discussed Beijing's strategies. “They always say it’s win-win. But all roads lead to one destiny: Beijing’s advantage,” LaHood commented.
Representative Moran added insights into China's tactics, stating, "There seems really to be no limit on the actions the PRC will take to engage in economic coercion."
