The State Department has been subpoenaed by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to provide documents regarding its sanctions policies towards China. This comes after reports suggested that the agency had held back on punitive measures in order to improve relations between the US and China.
McCaul has given Secretary of State Antony Blinken until Monday, July 17 to hand over documents and communications regarding proposed US sanctions against China and discussions surrounding their implementation.
In a statement, McCaul said that the subpoena was signed and delivered to the State Department on Tuesday. This subpoena is in relation to McCaul’s previous request in May for documents relating to reports that the State Department had held back a range of punitive measures against Beijing. This was done in an effort to stabilize the relationship following the discovery of a Chinese spy balloon over the US in February. Reuters initially reported on these documents.
McCaul stated that the State Department’s failure to comply with his request in May resulted in the subpoena. He emphasized the importance of obtaining these documents to shed light on the department’s alleged failure to enforce US national security laws against Chinese Communist Party companies and human rights abusers.
Republicans are seeking information on whether the State Department withheld human rights-related sanctions or export controls to improve relations with China. Reuters reported that Rick Waters, the deputy assistant secretary of State for China and Taiwan, had emailed staff stating that Blinken directed them to prioritize non-balloon actions in order to focus on a symmetric and calibrated response, with other actions to be revisited later.
Following the discovery of the Chinese spy balloon, Blinken’s trip to China was canceled. However, the visit eventually took place in June after intensive diplomacy by President Biden’s senior officials, including a trip to Beijing by CIA Director Bill Burns.
Biden has pursued an engagement policy with Chinese President Xi Jinping in an effort to manage tensions and prevent them from escalating into open conflict. Both Democrats and Republicans view China as a significant challenge to US security, as well as its economic and diplomatic strength. However, the two parties differ in their approaches to dealing with the issue, with Republicans being more critical of the administration.
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