Lankford Looks to Deter Communist China Aggression Against Taiwan

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today introduced the Deterring Escalation Through Economic Retaliation (DETER) Act in an effort to deter conflict in the Taiwan Strait by establishing a policy to revoke Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with the People’s Republic of China if Beijing invades Taiwan. 

“The Chinese Communist Party has consistently taken advantage of poorer nations around the globe. They have eliminated personal freedom in Hong Kong, committed untold human rights violations, stolen American intellectual property, and continually threaten their neighbors,” said Lankford. “The DETER Act will leverage China’s access to the American market to deter further aggression and allow the US to immediately act in the event Beijing invades Taiwan. We must not wait until a war has started—we must act now to put China on notice and ultimately deter the CCP from invading Taiwan.”

Background

The DETER Act revokes China’s PNTR status if the PRC engages in an act of military aggression that violates the sovereignty or territorial integrity of Taiwan. The bill also requires the Commerce Department and other agencies to conduct an assessment of current US supply chain vulnerabilities that would be affected by PNTR suspension, along with proposals to mitigate those risks and reduce reliance on China in the meantime.

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