Pandemic-Era Policymaking and the Future of United States-China Relations
The coronavirus pandemic has shined a bright light on the many problems that plague our interactions with China. Over the years, Tennesseans have watched Beijing lie, cheat, and steal its way to the top. The Chinese Communist Party’s deception put our songwriters, auto part manufacturers, and countless other industries at a disadvantage long before their coronavirus failures made the nightly news. Fighting for Tennesseans means unraveling our failed relationship with China, and I’ve released a comprehensive analysis detailing the best ways to start that process. You can read my more than 120 specific recommendations here.
Key Recommendations
- The United States should maintain its participation in international organizations, and work multilaterally to reshape Beijing’s participation in those organizations as China pursues a new model for intergovernmental institutions shaped by self-interest.
- Congress should lead a whole-of-government approach to secure U.S. supply chains across sectors and bring critical manufacturing and technologies back to America.
- The United States should address Chinese academic, research, and economic espionage, and intellectual property theft, through the introduction of new, responsibly stringent regulations and consistent implementation of existing regulations.
- The United States should lead in international standards-setting for network security, emerging technologies, internet access and freedom, and other key policy areas. Key allies and partners should be encouraged to participate in the development and implementation of these standards.
- Congress should continue to provide robust support for Taiwan and Hong Kong, while supporting universal human rights standards across the Indo-Pacific and within China and its territories.
- The United States should prioritize building a constellation of allies and partners across the Indo-Pacific in support of a rules-based order to deter aggression and foster stable economic growth.
- Congress should promote increasing defense investment in U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) while building human capitol enterprise-wide, to augment regional deterrence and bolster arenas in which the U.S. possesses an asymmetric advantage.
Senator Blackburn’s Efforts to Hold China’s Communist Regime Accountable
107th Congress
109th Congress
2005
Representative Blackburn cosponsors legislation exposing Beijing’s currency manipulation schemes
Representative Blackburn fights to protect American intellectual property rights as China continues to cheat artists
Representative Blackburn leads legislation protecting songwriters and artists from Chinese copyright violations
Representative Blackburn cosponsors legislation condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for its persecution of people loyal to the Pope
110th Congress
112th Congress
113th Congress
2013
Representative Blackburn writes legislation expressing concern over China’s imprisonment practices, particularly toward religious minorities
116th Congress
2019
Senator Blackburn introduces legislation preventing foreign adversaries from accessing our information and communications technology marketplace, and its supply chain
Senator Blackburn stands by Hong Kong freedom fighters; her legislation ending U.S. exports of crowd control equipment to the Hong Kong Police Force is signed into law by President Trump
Senator Blackburn leads colleagues in calling on the International Olympic Committee to demand China respect basic human rights at the 2022 Beijing Olympics
Senator Blackburn condemns China-based app TikTok over vulnerabilities caused by its connections to the Chinese government
Senator Blackburn leads legislation addressing the dangers of hosting Chinese-run Confucius Institutes on U.S. college campuses
Senator Blackburn calls on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to increase oversight of colleges and universities that host Confucius Institutes aimed at indoctrinating unsuspecting young students
Senator Blackburn introduces legislation incentivizing the transfer of pharmaceutical manufacturing out of China and back home to the U.S.
Read Press Release Read Forbes ArticleSenator Blackburn questions the relationship between the World Health Organization and China
Senator Blackburn introduces resolution demanding China take responsibility for their cover-up of the COVID-19 outbreak and end their detainment of Uyghur Muslims
Senator Blackburn speaks out against China’s acceptance onto a key UN Human Rights Council panel, harshly condemning the decision
It is disgusting that Communist China, which CURRENTLY has citizens in forced labor camps, has been appointed to the @UNHumanRights Council. It’s almost as if no one @UN has a brain. They clearly are they not interested in unbiased justice. pic.twitter.com/AveW1Kte5J
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) April 7, 2020
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Senator Blackburn urges China to proactively prevent viral outbreaks by closing down wildlife wet markets
Senator Blackburn discusses with China expert Gordon Chang Beijing’s abject failure to be forthright about the severity of the COVID-19 crisis at its inception
Senator Blackburn introduces legislation allowing Americans impacted by COVID-19 to sue Chinese officials for their role in the cover-up that allowed an outbreak to turn into a global pandemic
Read MoreSenator Blackburn introduces legislation encouraging the protection of human rights as authoritarian regimes crack down under the guise of controlling COVID-19
Senator Blackburn introduces legislation bolstering US efforts to combat oppressive censorship and internet restrictions worldwide through the Open Technology Fund
Senator Blackburn writes on China’s ability to wreak havoc on the global economy by cutting off access to essential supplies
Senator Blackburn discusses operational presence of the United States Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific with China expert Gordon G. Chang and Real Clear Politics’ Tom Bevan
Senator Blackburn's amendment aimed at determining the feasibility of sending senior U.S. military officers to provide training at the National Defense University of Taiwan included in the 2021 Senate-passed NDAA
Senator Blackburn urges the NBA to reevaluate its business dealings with China
Senator Blackburn urges the National Institutes of Health to investigate reports that multiple scientific journals have withdrawn from publication more than a dozen papers written by Chinese researchers due to concerns regarding their scientific integrity
Senator Blackburn joins Shannon Bream to discuss our rising tensions with Beijing and the importance of realigning our supply chains away from China
Former Acting Director of National Intelligence and Ambassador Richard Grenell joins Senator Blackburn to discuss Beijing's propaganda efforts
Senator Blackburn tells Charles Payne: “We will continue tightening up on Communist China”
Hong Kong activist Nathan Law and Senator Blackburn discuss China's national security law and crackdown on Hong Kongers
Senator Blackburn and Hoover Institution scholar Michael Auslin discuss how the U.S. and China are clashing around the world
Senator Blackburn writes on gained insight into how far players in the global economy will go to preserve their relationships with Beijing
2020
Senator Blackburn leads legislation to prevent the U.S. from relying on offshore drug production.
Senator Blackburn takes on Beijing with a bill to prohibit the use of federal funds to purchase drugs manufactured in China.
Senator Blackburn champions the effort to strengthen U.S. pharmaceutical supply chains.
Senator Blackburn files a resolution holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable for their cover-ups in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senator Blackburn sends a letter requesting Communist China close all operating wet markets that could expose humans to health risks.
Senator Blackburn files a resolution calling on all free nations to stand with the people of Hong Kong.
Senator Blackburn joins an effort to prevent the Chinese Communist Party from using its study abroad sponsorship programs to exploit America’s colleges and universities.
Senator Blackburn urges the NIH to investigate reports of scientific journals withdrawing papers written by CCP researchers due to concerns about scientific integrity.
Senator Blackburn blasts the World Health Organization’s director for protecting China from the consequences of their COVID-19 cover-ups.
Senator Blackburn and Hong Kong activist Nathan Law discuss Communist China’s National Security Law and its impact on Hong Kong.
Senator Blackburn writes a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver demanding accountability regarding China’s state-sanctioned abuse of children in the NBA’s Xinjiang basketball training camps.
Read MoreSenator Blackburn writes to Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek on Disney’s decision to cooperate with Xinjiang’s security and propaganda authorities during the production of Mulan.
Senator Blackburn discusses the unjust apprehension of Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong.
Senator Blackburn writes to College Board CEO David Coleman to inquire about his company’s financial ties to the Chinese Confucius Institute Headquarters.
Senator Blackburn writes a letter expressing concerns over sister-city partnerships between the U.S. and Communist China.
Senator Blackburn supports Taiwanese sovereignty and joins the Senate Taiwan Caucus.
Senator Blackburn voices concerns over Chinese influence on U.S. officials—including U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee member Eric Swalwell.
Senator Blackburn delivers a speech calling out the Chinese Communist Party’s egregious human rights abuse.
117th Congress
2021
Senator Blackburn stands up for human rights by championing a ban on imported products manufactured by forced labor in China.
Senator Blackburn leads efforts to tighten national security by prohibiting the issue of B1 and B2 visas to Chinese nationals.
Senator Blackburn writes to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver demanding answers on the league’s financial relationship with the CCP.
Senator Blackburn introduces legislation to crack down on the sister-city programs Beijing uses to create a foothold in American communities.
Senator Blackburn protects servicemembers’ and diplomats’ right to display the Taiwanese flag.
Senator Blackburn protects American manufacturing with the Keep China Out of Solar Energy Act to prohibit the procurement of solar panels manufactured or assembled by slave labor in China.
Senator Blackburn leads the Transparency for Confucius Institutes Act to require the disclosure of any financial transactions between U.S. educational institutions and China.
Senator Blackburn writes to the Department of Education urging support for censorship-free alternatives to Confucius Institutes’ Mandarin language and Chinese culture programs.
Senator Blackburn leads a bill allowing the president to impose sanctions on any group involved in any effort to conceal information on COVID-19.
Senator Blackburn re-introduces legislation to ensure Beijing faces consequences for its role in the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Senator Blackburn sends letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai stressing the importance of reconvening trade agreement talks with Taiwan.
Senators Blackburn, Cotton, Scott, and Hagerty introduce the Foreign Funding Accountability Act to curb the Chinese -Communist Party’s influence in American colleges and universities.
Senator Blackburn sends a letter to President Biden calling for sanctions on the CCP in response to their state-sponsored cyberattacks.
Senator Blackburn introduces the United Nations Transparency and Accountability Act to target authoritarian regimes such as communist China and Russia.
Senator Blackburn introduces amendments pushing back on communist China’s dominance.
Senator Blackburn joins Bloomberg TV to discuss the need for Biden to take a tougher stance against communist China.
Read MoreSenator Blackburn speaks with China expert Gordon Chang about protecting our Taiwanese partners and standing firm against communist China’s aggression.
Senator Blackburn raises the alarm against Communist China’s debt-trap diplomacy.
Senator Blackburn sends a letter to the CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to raise concerns over taxpayer resources being used to aid the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) export of solar panels.'
Senator Blackburn calls out President Biden for hosting a Zoom call with Chinese Communist Party officials.
Senators Blackburn and Cotton send a letter to the U.S. Olympic Committee & Paralympic Committee urging Team USA to not compete in the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games.
Read MoreSenator Blackburn sends YouTube a letter following the demonetization of a news video discussing sexual assault claims made by tennis player Peng Shuai against Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.
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