Senators Seek Study on Using Export Controls, Sanctions to Deter Purchases of Chinese Arms
Sens. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., introduced a bill July 23 that would require the State Department to analyze whether the U.S. should use export controls, sanctions or “other economic restrictions” to discourage other countries from buying Chinese military equipment.
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The Tracking Hostile Industry Networks and Kit while Thwarting Weapons Imports from Chinese Entities Act, or Think Twice Act, also would require State to describe steps the U.S. can take to revise its foreign arms sales process to make American products more attractive to prospective buyers of Chinese weapons.
Ricketts said the significant use of Chinese-made weapons in the recent Pakistan-India clash “should be a major wake-up call that we must do more to combat these arms sales.” China, which has emerged as a major weapons supplier, uses such sales to “promote strategic interests, improve its military’s image and reputation, acquire performance data of Chinese-made weapons in contested environments, exacerbate tensions between the U.S. and traditional security partners, and gain a foothold for further defense and security cooperation,” a Ricketts news release says.
The bill was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.