Condemning the People's Republic of China Coast Guard's repeated violations of international maritime law and aggression toward the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, and Malaysia.

Bill: 118-hres-1412
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Steel, Michelle [R-CA-45]
Introduced: 2024-08-06
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-08-06
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1412 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES August 6, 2024 Mrs. Steel (for herself and Mr. Horsford ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Condemning the People’s Republic of China Coast Guard’s repeated violations of international maritime law and aggression toward the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, and Malaysia.

Whereas the People’s Republic of China Coast Guard continues to coordinate provocations of the sovereignty of neighboring countries for the express purpose of threatening military conflict in the region; Whereas the Coast Guard Law of the People’s Republic of China applies to activities in the jurisdictional waters of China, a term that is neither defined nor drafted in accordance with international law; Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China has made claims to the South China Sea by means of a nine-dash line that is not based on legitimate evidence or legal or historical precedent; and Whereas the People’s Republic of China Coast Guard— (1) since 2020, has consistently engaged in tactics to disrupt commercial operations by harassing new Malaysian oil and gas projects in the South China Sea, thereby risking disruptions to international energy procurement; (2) on June 17, 2024, attacked and threatened Philippines soldiers with knives, swords, and spears, which led to one Filipino soldier losing a thumb when his vessel was rammed; (3) on June 24, 2024, instigated a standoff with the Japanese Coast Guard and Japanese fishing vessels surrounding the Senkaku Islands; (4) on July 2, 2024, intercepted the Tachinman 88, a Taiwanese fishing boat, and steered it toward a port in mainland China; and (5) on July 3, 2024, anchored the world’s largest Coast Guard vessel, known as The Monster , within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, representing the People’s Republic of China’s latest effort to break with international norms while failing to address disputes through available channels of communication: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) demands that the People’s Republic of China respect international territorial integrity and freedom of navigation laws, as well as remove all unlawful maritime claims; (2) calls on all nations to condemn the exertion of power by the People’s Republic of China that threatens rules-based order and international law; (3) encourages all nations to condemn and stand together against attempts by the Government of the People’s Republic of China to impose its will on other countries; and (4) calls on the United States Government to— (A) prioritize and grow strategic partnerships with Australia, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and India to counter these threats to international security and commerce in the Indo-Pacific region; (B) hold accountable officials of the Chinese Communist Party and the Government of the People’s Republic of China complicit in future acts of aggression that undermine international boundaries including through sanctions, visa restrictions, and other tools; and (C) make clear that the people of the United States support the ability of Southeast Asian allies to extend exclusive economic zones.