The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission plans to hold its first hearing of 2012 later this month, according to a Federal Register notice posted this morning.
On Jan. 26, the panel will hold a public hearing in Washington, DC, to address "China's Global Quest for Resources and Implications for the United States," the notice reads, adding:
This is the first public hearing the Commission will hold during its 2012 report cycle to collect input from leading academic, industry, and government experts on national security implications of the U.S. bilateral trade and economic relationship with China. The January 26 hearing will examine China's Global Quest for Resources and Implications for the United States. The hearing will be co-chaired by Commissioners Richard D'Amato and Daniel Blumenthal.
The commission's most recent annual report came out in November. At least one lawmaker has used China's increased military buildup as a pretext for not cutting any more funds to the Defense Department. Citing that latest report, Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) said in a Nov. 16 statement:
"This year's U.S.-China Commission report to Congress further confirms that China is strategically positioning itself to militarily and economically challenge U.S. influence and capabilities in the Asia Pacific. China remains steadfast in its commitment to build up the Chinese military, increasing its defense budget to bolster regional dominance and intimidate its neighbors. In addition, the report makes it abundantly clear that China is actively seeking to exploit the United States' military vulnerabilities as the U.S. government fails to stop the theft and voluntary forfeiture of American technology to Chinese state-owned companies.
"And while China is building aircraft carriers, stealing American technology, and actively seeking 'space supremacy,' Congress is busy dismantling the United States military with arbitrary budget cuts that could total a trillion dollars, diminishing its Navy to World War I levels, and effectively forfeiting U.S. leadership in space. Those eager to gut the defense budget ought to think twice before ceding U.S. regional influence in the Pacific to an authoritarian nation that violates basic human rights, flagrantly disregards the very notion of intellectual property, and routinely disregards the sovereignty of other nations," said Forbes.