US panel calls for tough measures against China

Washington: A Congressional advisory panel has urged the Obama Administration to adopt tougher approach towards China given the "aggressive" and "assertive" nature of Beijing's economic and military power in recent years.

"While China has taken some steps to engage the international community, by and large the Communist Party of China (CCP) has continued to steer policy in its own narrow self-interest at home and abroad, often without regard for international rules and norms," said a report of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

"As a result, worldwide concern about China is growing as more people see the implications of the rise of a powerful authoritarian state," said the voluminous 414-page report sent to the Congress yesterday. The Commission Chairman, William Reinsch, said China has yet to create a system that effectively protects intellectual property; something that is required of all WTO members.

But US business software companies still report that China is the world's largest source of pirated software. "Even more disturbing, China has stepped backward from its original promise to lower trade barriers and to treat foreign products and services fairly," he alleged. "When combined with the military's excessive focus on other disruptive military capabilities, such as counterspace operations, it presents an image of Chinese intentions that diverges significantly from Beijing's official policy of peaceful development," Reinsch said.

"As a result of China's growing economic and military strength, Beijing increasingly acts with greater assertiveness on the international stage," he added.

Posted in: China,Congressional panel,Obama Administration