Washington, DC – Today, Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement regarding Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s address yesterday at George Washington University outlining the Administration’s approach to the People’s Republic of China:

“I applaud Secretary of State Antony Blinken for outlining the Administration’s policy towards the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We have witnessed the PRC undermine the international rules-based order and challenge universal values of human rights for far too long. The United States must defend and strengthen that order, which has allowed the United States and the nations of the world to coexist and prosper.  

“The Biden Administration has brought strategic clarity and diplomatic might to our competition with the PRC. This approach leverages our unique advantages – our innovation and research capacity, our partners and allies, and our institutions and values – to defend our shared, values-based vision for the future.  

“As Secretary Blinken laid out in his speech, to address effectively the challenges posed by the PRC, we must “invest,” “align,” and “compete.” That is why it is crucial that Congress do its part and finalize robust competitiveness legislation in the coming weeks. The America COMPETES Act invests in American research and innovation to bolster America’s economic competitiveness, it aligns with our partners and allies to strengthen checks on the PRC’s global aggression and coercion, and it positions the United States to compete with China technologically, diplomatically, and on human rights. We must work together on a bipartisan and bicameral basis to send a bill to the President’s desk.”

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