On April 20th, Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee called into question the US Commerce Department’s decision to lift sanctions on a Chinese Communist group. The Commerce Department had imposed sanctions on April 1st against seven companies and one research organization, labeling them as controlled by the “Chinese military-industrial complex”.
But a week later, the department announced that none of these entities were actually controlled by the Chinese military, and that the sanctions were unnecessary and should be lifted.
Senator Blackburn expressed frustration over the decision to reverse the sanction, saying it “sets a bad precedent for US policy toward China.” The Senator argued that the government should be sending a strong message of deterrence to the Chinese government, rather than giving them a pass.
“There needs to be strong consequences for those entities involved in questionable activities with Chinese entities,” Blackburn said. She added that the decision to lift the sanctions sends a message to other Chinese entities that they are free to collaborate with the Chinese military and the Chinese technology sector without consequence.
Blackburn further stated that, “It is vital that the Biden administration maintains a hardline stance against China’s immoral and exploitative attempts to target the United States”. The Senator went on to argue that it is vital for the US to remain cautious when dealing with the Chinese government and that the Biden administration should reconsider its decision to lift the sanction.
The Department of Commerce has yet to issue an official statement in response to Senator Blackburn’s comments. It is likely that the agency’s hesitation to respond is due to the administration’s desire to maintain positive relations with China, even as it attempts to hold the country accountable for its human rights abuses.