Meeks’ Eagle Act would take on China challenge

US Congressman and chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY) has introduced to the House of Representatives a comprehensive bill, ‘Ensuring American Global Leadership and Engagement’, or EAGLE Act which, ‘calls for the revitalization of American diplomacy, leadership, and investments globally in response to the policy challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China.’

Introducing the bill, Meeks said it,

• ‘Emphasizes the power of multilateralism and boosts American leadership in international organizations such as the United Nations, as well as regional ones like APEC;
• Reinforces U.S. commitment to engagement with partners and allies through bilateral and trilateral engagement as well as through the Quadrilateral Dialogue;
• Spurs U.S. strategic and economic competitiveness on the world stage through climate action, vaccine diplomacy, development finance, and digital and cyber partnerships;
• Holds China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, accountable on climate, to ensure that it plays a constructive role in the climate fight;
• Reinforces commitment to American values by responding to the PRC’s human rights violations, imposing costs on China for its use of Uyghur forced labor, and providing temporary protected and refugee status for qualifying Hong Kongers; and
• Strengthens America’s economic diplomacy and statecraft in order to shape the economic rules that govern global commerce, empower American workers and businesses, and invest in the technologies of the future.’

Amongst its many sanctions-related provisions (some ambitious), the Act calls upon the President to urge the United Nations Security Council to invoke ‘multilateral sanctions’ against China for ‘genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups’.