Wagner introduces bipartisan Countering China Economic Coercion Act

U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) on Oct. 15 proposed a bipartisan bill to establish the nation’s first interagency task force tasked with developing a response to the growing economic coercion being perpetrated by the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

“The People’s Republic of China’s heavy-handed and predatory economic policies harm our partners and undermine American interests well beyond the Indo-Pacific region,” Rep. Wagner said. “Our efforts to respond to PRC economic coercion must be strategic, measured and proactive.”

The congresswoman is the lead original cosponsor of the Countering China Economic Coercion Act, H.R. 5580, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) and five fellow cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). 

“I am proud to join Rep. Bera in introducing this bipartisan bill to ensure that the United States is working in a coordinated and comprehensive way to combat China’s economic bullying,” said Rep. Wagner.

If enacted, H.R. 5580 would require the president to establish a Countering Economic Coercion Task Force chaired by a National Security Council member selected by the president and composed of assistant secretary-level principles from relevant U.S. departments and agencies, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Wagner’s office.

The primary duties of the task force would include developing and implementing a U.S. strategy to respond to the PRC’s economic coercion; monitoring and evaluating costs of the PRC’s economic coercion and impact on U.S. national interests; facilitating coordination across agencies and information-sharing with private-sector and U.S. allies and partners; and publishing and routinely updating a public list of cases of economic coercion from the PRC, the summary says.

In addition, the bill would establish an annual reporting requirement that includes a review of economic coercion tools the PRC could employ in the future; a review of the economic and diplomatic tools the U.S. employs or could employ to respond to China’s economic coercion; and an assessment of areas where U.S. allies and partners are vulnerable to Beijing’s economic coercion, according to the summary.

“We have seen the PRC government increasingly use nefarious and coercive economic practices to punish countries, private entities and organizations for pursuing policies that Beijing deems counter to its interests,” said Rep. Bera. “As China continues to threaten our partners in the Indo-Pacific and our own national security and economic well-being with its coercive measures, the U.S. government needs to better understand Beijing’s tactics.”

H.R. 5580 has been referred to the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee for consideration.