Washington, D.C. — The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission issued its annual report to Congress on Tuesday, outlining 30 recommendations that address the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) exploitation of America’s open society and markets for its economic and military advancement.
The commissioners identified 10 of its recommendations as the most significant, including that Congress consider corporate disclosure requirements of exposure to China and enact legislation that would counter politically oppressive lawsuits initiated by the Chinese government or its proxies with aim of silencing or intimidating free speech.
The commissioners warn that China faces a serious economic crisis and remains committed to an aggressive political influence campaign and military buildup. They urge Congress not to accept “Beijing’s ever-hardening policies and its ever-tightening control over the Chinese people” as the “new normal.”
Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul said:
“We look forward to working with Congress and the administration to enact and implement the commission’s recommendations, including more focus on the risks of investment in China, moving our electronics supply chain out of China, and restricting the ability of Chinese entities to harass U.S. groups and citizens through the courts.
“This report underscores the need for strengthened and sustained efforts to counter the CCP’s economic influence in the United States even as our two nations seek to restore dialogue at the highest levels. Millions of American jobs and our nation’s security and economic stability are at stake. We commend the efforts of the commission to shine a spotlight on these important issues.”
Background:
Chinese company BYD Company Ltd. lodged a meritless libel suit targeting the Alliance for American Manufacturing and several of its employees in 2020. The U.S. District Court rejected BYD’s litigation attempt three times, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia dismissed BYD’s appeal of the district court’s final decision. Finally, the Supreme Court rejected BYD’s writ of certiorari in 2022.
While the District of Columbia has a law that protects groups and individuals from baseless lawsuits that are filed in an effort to chill the exercise of free speech, it does not apply in federal court, even when the claims concern D.C. law.
In its latest report, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission recommends that Congress enact legislation that would create an expedited process for “politically oppressive lawsuits initiated by the Chinese government or its proxies attempting to silence, intimidate, or impose significant litigation costs on parties for exercising protected rights through political engagement or other public participation.”
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