Moolenaar urges next Congress to continue bipartisan China committee amid questions over its future

Washington — Editor's note: this story was translated from the original VOA Mandarin article.

John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, in a statement released November 9, urged the next Congress to renew the panel’s mandate, saying it should continue its bipartisan work on China policy when lawmakers return early next year.

Moolenaar said the select committee had brought Republicans and Democrats together over nearly four years to address what he described as serious threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to American interests and values.

"For nearly four years the Select Committee has brought together Republicans and Democrats to address the grave threats the Chinese Communist Party poses to U.S. interests and values," Moolenaar said. "We have worked hand-in-hand with other committees and administrations of both parties to secure vital policy changes that strengthen our nation and protect the American people."

The Michigan Republican said the committee had exposed the CCP's exploitation of the U.S. economy, American workers, and innovators. He also highlighted its bipartisan efforts to secure critical supply chains, deny Beijing access to resources and technologies needed to advance what he called its dangerous ambitions, and advocate for people fighting for freedom and dignity.

Moolenaar warned that the challenges facing the United States were becoming increasingly urgent, particularly as technological competition in artificial intelligence intensifies and China's coercive actions against U.S. allies and partners continue to escalate.

“The coming two years will be a critical period—and an opportunity to meet the moment through the Select Committee’s bipartisan mandate and work."

History of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party

The Select Committee on China was established in January 2023, during the 118th Congress, after Republicans gained a majority in the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections.
The committee was created under House Resolution 11, introduced by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California). The resolution passed the House on January 10, 2023, by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 365 to 65, with 146 Democrats joining all but absent Republican members in supporting its creation.

Its creation reflected growing bipartisan concern in Washington over China's expanding economic, technological, military, and geopolitical influence, as well as the implications of the Chinese Communist Party's policies for U.S. national security and economic competitiveness.

Unlike a traditional standing committee, the Select Committee on China was established as a temporary investigative and policy-focused panel. Its mandate was to build bipartisan consensus on the challenges posed by the CCP and develop policy recommendations to counter these threats.

The 120th Congress is scheduled to convene on January 3, 2027, when newly elected lawmakers will be sworn into office.