US Congress Strengthens Legislation to Counter China... Establishes 'Integrated China Response Team' in the Department of Defense

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] In the U.S. Congress, there is a growing movement to define China as the greatest competitor and to check its influence through legislation.

According to the Senate Armed Services Committee on the 23rd (local time), the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the next fiscal year (October 2022 to September 2023), which is pending approval by the Senate plenary session, explicitly includes the establishment of a "cross-functional team" within the Department of Defense to oversee China-related issues.

Accordingly, the Secretary of Defense is required to create a separate response team to integrate efforts to address challenges posed by China from a national security perspective, organically linking strategy, policy, resources, and military capabilities. The response team must collaborate not only within the Department of Defense but also with other federal agencies, and strengthen cooperation with allies in the Indo-Pacific region. If the bill is enacted, it is expected to also impact South Korea, a key U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific region.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that within 180 days of enactment, the Department of Defense and the Department of State must consult with Taiwan to establish a multi-year plan to support Taiwan's defense. Based on the Taiwan Relations Act, the policy framework includes conducting joint military exercises with Taiwan and maintaining U.S. military power to deter any unilateral attempts by China to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

The Senate Armed Services Committee forwarded the NDAA to the plenary session last month. Barring any surprises, the committee's version is expected to pass without major changes. The NDAA passed by the House of Representatives includes some provisions from the "Countering China's Economic Coercion Act," introduced last year by Democratic Representative Ami Bera. The bill mentions China's retaliatory measures against South Korea over THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) and proposes establishing a task force to respond to China's coercive actions against the U.S. and its allies.

After the NDAA passes the Senate plenary session following the House plenary session, both chambers are expected to go through a separate bill reconciliation process and finalize the merged bill by the end of the year at the latest.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.