The Economist: A new threat to US-Chinese relations

The Economist newspaper said, there’s a new committee in the US Congress threatens to increase turmoil between Beijing and Washington, and this committee, led by Republicans, will work to investigate the most divisive areas in Chinese-US relations.

The Economist pointed out that the committee of the House of Representatives doesn’t have any legislative power, but it can issue subpoenas and hold hearings.

According to the new Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, the committee may hold its first session next March at the latest.

The opening investigations into some aspects of the United States’ relations with China isn’t a new matter in Congress, but this committee may raise issues that may cause real tension between the two parties, including what may threaten the efforts made by Chinese President Xi Jinping to reassure Western companies in Beijing.

Additionally, The Economist reported, this commission is designed to conduct high-level investigations into almost any aspect of US-China relations.

The investigations include issues that could be addressed by US arms sales to Taiwan, investments in China by US pension funds, Chinese ownership of US agricultural lands, as well as China’s political influence operations in America.

The House of Representatives earlier voted 365-65 to create a special committee on China, and Republican lawmakers pledged to lead the bipartisan committee that Congress would use to win the new Cold War.

Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, who served as the Republican chair of the Armed Services Committee’s Personnel Committee in the last Congress, laid out the China committee’s agenda and includes a number of key defense priorities.

The 16-member committee will consist of 9 Republicans and 7 Democrats.