WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, and Mitt Romney (R-UT), have introduced a bipartisan bill to better evaluate national security threats posed by China. The China Defense Spending Transparency Act would require the Defense Intelligence Agency to publish a comprehensive report detailing the full true extent of China’s military capacity.

Official statistics coming from China about their defense spending are at odds with independent estimates, and include misleading figures which ultimately distort the American public debate about our own defense spending. The required report would take into account the military-civil fusion present in the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) and provide policymakers, and the American public, a clearer understanding of the real value of Chinese military expenditures.

“The Chinese Communist Party has consistently demonstrated its desire to challenge the balance of global policymaking and undermine a rules-based international order,” Senator King said. “The first step in addressing any potential threat—this one included—is to get a clear understanding of the facts. This report will help Congress and defense officials better quantify and understand the true expanse of China’s military—using our own intelligence and information gathering to guide America’s critical national security decisions rather than take China’s word for their intent. The China Defense Spending Transparency Act is bipartisan, commonsense legislation to ensure that the United States can have clear eyes in deterring and preparing for any potential conflicts. I thank Senators Romney, Manchin and Sullivan for their leadership on this issue and urge our Senate colleagues to pass this bill swiftly.”

“The Chinese Communist Party is undertaking a rapid and strategic military buildup in its quest to become the world’s superpower,” said Senator Romney. “We cannot for one second trust CCP pronouncements regarding its defense spending—or allow this misleading information to influence U.S. policymaking. It’s critical for our national security that we accurately understand the PRC’s military investments as we make decisions regarding investments in support of our own defense capabilities.”

Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) joined King and Romney on this legislation.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee asserted: “At an unclassified level I would tell you that, combined, the Russian and Chinese budgets exceed our budgets, if all the cards are put on the table. Both governments do not put all their cards on the table when it comes to their budget. It is a very difficult thing to discern, that which is being spent on their defense versus other priorities. With respect to China, they have put significant levels of effort…significant levels of resources into building the Chinese military. And the Chinese military, as we have noted many times before, is on a significant increasing rise in capability over the last 20 or 30 years, and they continue to invest heavily in that.”

A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as a thoughtful voice on national security and foreign policy issues. He recently introduced bipartisan legislation to establish a commission tasked with developing a comprehensive whole-of-government approach for how the United States should address the economic, security, and diplomatic challenges posed by China. In January, Senator King visited Kyiv to hold bilateral meetings with President Zelenskyy and his Ukrainian counterparts to ensure that American aid was being used efficiently with proper oversight.

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