The defence spending bill passed by the US Congress contains provisions that bar China from participating in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), the world’s largest international maritime warfare drill, and prevent its companies from accessing certain telecom equipment for defence and security establishments.

The bill not only seeks to strengthen American defence in the Indo-Pacific region and take a number of restrictive measures against China, but also strengthens its military ties with countries such as India, Australia and Japan to collectively address the “aggressive” Chinese military behaviour.

“No country has been more aggressive than China in going after American technology in sectors like aviation, robotics, new energy vehicles, and others where the US has established itself as a global leader,” senator Sherrod Brown said after the Senate passed the bill on Wednesday.

The legislation has a bipartisan measure that seeks to strengthen the tools the US uses to block national security threats posed by investments from China and other countries. This provision will ensure that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is better equipped to handle “emerging threats” from China. “Our bipartisan bill will give CFIUS and our export control agencies tools they need to ensure that these types of investments don’t slip through the cracks,” Brown said.

The bill contains provisions that deny Chinese companies access to small American business programmes and “prevents taxpayer dollars from being awarded to the US’ biggest economic competitor”. Prominent among the several legislative moves which strengthened US posture toward China include provision requiring the department of defense to publish photos of Beijing’s “offensive military forces deployed on their fake islands”.

The provision that bars China from participating in the RIMPAC exercises until they cease a range of activities “threatening” US security was moved by senator Ted Cruz. It reverses a policy set by former president Barack Obama. PTI

Courtesy: Times of India: Aug 3, 2018