Lawmakers seek to limit China’s influence

(The Center Square) — Virginia lawmakers Rep. Rob Wittman and Sen. Tim Kaine introduced legislation this week to fortify the U.S. against China’s growing influence.

Wittman’s legislation, which he co-sponsored with Republican and Democratic representatives from Florida and Massachusetts, seeks to safeguard America’s ports from interference by the Chinese Communist Party for both economic and security reasons.

Kaine’s bill – also bipartisan and co-sponsored by Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind. – aims to shore up funding for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, as a 2023 department report showed that the agencies are about $41 billion short of “the resources required to effectively combat the People’s Republic of China.”

Multiple Chinese companies own parts of major American and global ports, which could pose a threat to America’s “national security interests… global supply chains and overall maneuverability in the maritime domain,” according to a press release from Wittman’s office. 

The Strategic Ports Reporting Act calls on the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct a study of China and America’s global port investments, assess America’s resulting vulnerabilities and craft an interagency strategy report on protecting its safety and economic interests. The report would be presented to Congress a year from its enactment.

“As China continues its military aggression in the Indo-Pacific and expands its economic influence across the globe, it is more important than ever that the United States has a plan to counter China’s investments in strategic foreign ports while ensuring resilience of U.S.-aligned ports,” Wittman said.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced companion legislation in the Senate. 

“Florida is home to many of our nation’s key ports,” Rubio said. “We must prevent, at all costs, the chance for our adversaries to use our resources against us.”

The Fully Funding Our National Security Priorities Act would require the State Department and International Development Agency to “submit an annual report to Congress on [their] unfunded programs, activities, and mission requirements,” similar to other governmental agencies. 

“China is rapidly expanding its diplomatic footprint around the world. Now is not the time to cut resources at the State Department and USAID. We should be doing the exact opposite,” Kaine said. “I’m introducing this legislation to empower the State Department and USAID and provide a clearer picture to Congress of where we need to allocate resources to ensure we can effectively respond to emerging threats and global challenges.”

Kaine and Young also filed the bill as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.