U.S. Representative John Moolenaar, a Republican from Caledonia, Michigan, has been appointed as the new chair of the House select committee on China. He will replace Representative Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin. The bipartisan committee, officially known as the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, focuses on examining the economic and national security threats posed by China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) [4b615728] [ae7133cc].
Moolenaar's appointment is seen as a positive signal for continued bipartisan cooperation on China issues. He is closely aligned with Gallagher's vision for the committee, with a particular focus on economic competition with China and support for U.S. manufacturing. Moolenaar has been a vocal critic of Gotion, a subsidiary of a Chinese company, and its plans to build an electric vehicle battery plant in Mecosta County, Michigan. He has introduced legislation that would prevent companies based in China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia from receiving certain green energy tax credits. In addition to his new role as chair of the China competition committee, Moolenaar is also a member of the influential House Appropriations Committee [4b615728] [ae7133cc].
Moolenaar and other lawmakers have called on the U.S. government to increase tariffs on Chinese vehicles, highlighting the ongoing economic competition between the two countries [4b615728].