US military bill with an eye on China passes House panel unanimously
- The House Armed Services Committee approves the US$741 billion National Defence Authorisation Act, which finances the Pentagon’s annual budget
- The legislation includes numerous programmes that target China and its rivalry with the US on military, technological and geopolitical fronts
The powerful US House Armed Services Committee unanimously approved an annual US$741 billion defence bill late on Wednesday that featured numerous provisions targeting China.
The National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) still has hurdles to clear before it becomes law, but it provides a blunt view into just how bipartisan the Washington consensus has become about China, its global standing and its rivalry with the US.
“Is there anybody in this room that does not believe that China is an adversary of the United States, has every plan possible to become a world power at our detriment?” asked Representative Paul Mitchell, a Republican from Michigan. “Is there anybody that doesn’t believe that?”
The committee, which oversees military policy, passed the bill 56-0 shortly before midnight after nearly 14 hours of debate. It includes a slew of legislative proposals from lawmakers across the political spectrum to challenge Beijing on technology, scientific research and defence.
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Among the hundreds of pages in the bill, one programme seeks to protect the country's rare earth metals supply chain; China is the global leader in that sector. Another proposal mandates an intelligence report on cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.