Bill Threatens China’s PNTR Status

Legislation to revoke China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations status if it invades Taiwan was introduced yesterday by Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla).

The Deterring Escalation Through Economic Retaliation Act in an effort to deter conflict in the Taiwan Strait, according to the senator.

“The Chinese Communist Party has consistently taken advantage of poorer nations around the globe,” he said. “They have eliminated personal freedom in Hong Kong, committed untold human rights violations, stolen American intellectual property, and continually threaten their neighbors.”

The bill will make Beijing think twice about invading Taiwan by using China’s access to the US market as leverage, Sen. Lankford stated.

“We must not wait until a war has started – we must act now to put China on notice and ultimately deter the CCP from invading Taiwan.”

The bill also would require the Commerce Department and other agencies to conduct an assessment of current US supply chain vulnerabilities that would be affected by PNTR suspension, along with proposals to mitigate those risks and reduce reliance on China in the meantime.