New House committee risks inflaming Sino-US tensions

Congressional panel an outdated effort to show tough stance on China, analysts say

The newly formed US congressional select committee on competition with China, which met for the first time on Tuesday, risks stoking the so-called China threat theory, escalating Sino-US tensions, and creating an unfriendly atmosphere toward China in the United States and the Western world, analysts say.

The committee's inaugural hearing began at 7 pm local time, an apparent attempt to draw a prime-time audience, and included old videos used to portray modern China in a negative light. Representative Mike Gallagher, the committee chairman, declared in his opening remarks that "this is not a polite tennis match", adding that "the most fundamental freedoms are at stake".

While some in the US see the hearing as a way to "selectively decouple" the US and Chinese economies, it is likely to have a significant impact on US-China relations, said Shen Dingli, a professor and former executive dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai.

"It will no doubt further intensify tensions," he said. "Though the committee has no legislative power, it could provoke negative sentiments toward China among the US public and Washington's allies."

On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning called on "relevant US institutions and individuals" to discard their ideological bias and Cold War mentality, and view China and China-US relations in an objective and rational light.

They should stop framing China as a threat by quoting disinformation, stop denigrating the Communist Party of China and stop trying to seek political gains at the expense of China-US relations, Mao said.

Opponents among the Democrats largely voiced concern that the committee could stir an even greater rise in anti-Asian hate crimes.

The first half hour of Tuesday's hearing was disrupted by two protesters holding signs reading "China is not our enemy" and "Stop Asian hate".

"We need cooperation. Warmongering is the greatest threat to this country. You're all about war," one protester shouted before they were removed by security and arrested.

Both signs were labeled by Code Pink, an activist group focused on ending foreign wars. The protesters disrupted the opening remarks of former national security adviser H.R. McMaster, who resigned from that position in 2018 after disagreements with former president Donald Trump on foreign policy.

The committee appears to serve as a catchall aimed at condemning China on past events and current disputes concerning the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Taiwan.

Semiconductor in focus

Panelists also spent significant time discussing the competition in the semiconductor industry, expressing concern about China's technological advancement.

Critics have long argued that the establishment of the select committee is an outdated product of the Cold War mindset that will hamper international cooperation in the post-COVID era.

"The purpose of establishing the body is to show the US House of Representatives' tough stance on China, to make the US administration hesitant to improve relations," said a commentary published by The Beijing News in January. "It will cast a shadow over normal trade between China and the US."

Michael Swaine, a Washington-based analyst focusing on Chinese security issues, said of the House committee, "It's another indication of the negative slide, the downward spiral, in the US-China relationship."

The hearings will add to the political pressure on US President Joe Biden, who has continued to stress a desire for limited dialogue with China, to take a harder line, he said.

Wang Qingyun in Beijing and agencies contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at hengweili@chinadailyusa.com