US House panel on China tackles human rights, TikTok and fentanyl in first hearing aimed at prime-time audience

Former national security officials, trade group representative and Chinese activist among those questioned by bipartisan committee

Committee chairman Mike Gallagher calls Beijing-Washington rivalry an ‘existential struggle’ during meeting meant to play to American public

Reading Time:4 minutes

US House committee members watch a video about China’s Communist Party during a hearing in Washington on Tuesday. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 4:47pm, 1 Mar 2023Updated: 1:40pm, 6 Mar 2023

In a multimedia production targeted to the American public, the US House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party tackled a laundry list of issues ranging from human rights in China to tacit cooperation between Wall Street and Beijing during its first hearing on Tuesday evening.

“We may call this a strategic competition, but it’s not a polite tennis match,” said committee chairman Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin, opening the hearing. “This is an existential struggle over what life will look like for the 21st century.”

Ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois, spoke about the urgency of countering Beijing economically and militarily, but also presented China’s challenge as an opportunity for the US.

“This committee can help us as Americans to up our game as a people,” he said, noting the need to fix supply chain weaknesses, invest in future technologies and improve the workforce.

“We do not want a war with [China] … we don’t want a clash of civilisations.”

The hearing, titled “The Chinese Communist Party’s Threat to America”, was scheduled for after working hours, with the intention of attracting a large domestic audience.