By Caribbean News Global 
IDAHO, USA – US Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has highlighted significant achievements and steps taken during his first term as chairman to counter the challenges the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) pose to the United States and its allies and partners; “China is a strategic and global competitor of the United States, and is the greatest foreign policy challenge we face this century,” said Risch.
“Over the course of my first term as chairman, I have made it a priority to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as well as with allies and partners abroad, to find comprehensive policies and solutions to advance our shared interests and values and counter the CCP’s growing malign influence across the globe. As we look to the 117th Congress, it will be my highest priority to continue the progress we’ve made to protect our freedoms, build resiliency, and uphold the interests and values we share with our democratic allies.”
Risch frequently lists China as his top priority on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and has marked the last two years by introducing and advancing several legislative packages, including introducing the first comprehensive legislative strategy to compete with the PRC across a number of areas. He also delivered several speeches at prominent conferences and think tank events, and published an influential report on how the United States and its transatlantic allies should tackle shared challenges posed by the Chinese government in the coming years and decades. Risch has been a champion for human rights in China by standing up for autonomy in Hong Kong, highlighting the horrific human rights abuses against ethnic Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, and advocating for the religious freedom of Tibetans and Christians throughout China.
Among Risch’s achievements this Congress are:
The strategic Act
Risch introduced the Strengthening Trade, Regional Alliances, Technology, and Economic and Geopolitical Initiatives Concerning China Act (The STRATEGIC Act), the first comprehensive legislation to advance a strategy for US competition with the PRC.
“The STRATEGIC Act is intended to provide a US strategy that will safeguard the interests shared by the United States and our allies and partners, and retain our position as a global leader,” said Risch. “The PRC government needs to know that the risks of seeking to dominate other states outweigh the benefits, and this comprehensive legislation provides tough new measures aimed at leveling the playing field. There was both Republican and Democratic input into this bill, and I plan to move this legislation forward on a bipartisan basis in the coming Congress.”
Strategic Act in the news:
- Financial Times (exclusive): Senior US senator pushes for new tools to rein in China
- Bloomberg: Senate Republicans’ China Policy Beats Trump’s: Hal Brands
- CNBC: Op-Ed: The U.S.-China clash has entered perilous new territory
China-Europe Committee Report
Risch published a committee report entitled “The United States and Europe: A Concrete Agenda for Transatlantic Cooperation on China” to advance greater collaboration between the United States and Europe on the challenges posed by China. The report was published during an event with Risch’s counterparts in the EU and U.K.
“Throughout my years in the Senate, I have advocated for close ties between the United States and Europe, and will continue to do so,” said Risch. “This report summarizes the universe of shared challenges that the U.S. and Europe face as it pertains to China, and offers logical solutions that we can implement now and over the next decade. Both sides of the Atlantic must continue these important discussions chart a cooperative path forward on China.”
China-Europe report in the news:
