[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 145 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 145

 Opposing the Republic of South Africa's hosting of military exercises 
  with the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation, and 
calling on the Biden administration to conduct a thorough review of the 
                United States-South Africa relationship.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 21, 2023

   Mr. James (for himself, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Kean of New 
Jersey, Mr. Mills, Mr. Baird, and Mrs. Kim of California) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Opposing the Republic of South Africa's hosting of military exercises 
  with the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation, and 
calling on the Biden administration to conduct a thorough review of the 
                United States-South Africa relationship.

Whereas the United States and the Republic of South Africa have enjoyed strong 
        bilateral relations since 1994;
Whereas the holding of elections with universal suffrage in 1994 marked the 
        effective ending of apartheid in South Africa, the codified, State-
        enforced system of racial segregation and socioeconomic discrimination;
Whereas South Africa is the United States largest trade partner in Africa, with 
        $21,000,000,000 of 2-way goods trade in 2021, and in 2012, the countries 
        signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement facilitating 2-way 
        trade;
Whereas the United States is the largest source of foreign direct investment in 
        South Africa, valued at over $7,500,000,000 in 2021, and approximately 
        600 American businesses operate in South Africa;
Whereas South Africa's media landscape has proven resilient to the influence of 
        media entities controlled by the People's Republic of China (PRC);
Whereas South Africa has benefitted from the U.S. Africa Contingency Operations 
        Training and Assistance program since 2006;
Whereas the United States and South African militaries have historically 
        undertaken joint military exercises and enjoyed good relations, 
        including South Africa hosting American troops for Exercise ``Shared 
        Accord'' in 2022, the fourth time they have hosted this exercise since 
        2011, through historic Department of Defense participation in South 
        Africa's biennial African Aerospace Defense Exhibition, and through the 
        periodic convening of the bilateral U.S.-South Africa Defense Committee;
Whereas South Africa declined to participate in the planned ``Cutlass Express'' 
        military exercises with the United States in 2023;
Whereas South Africa often voted in alignment with the PRC within the United 
        Nations General Assembly in 2022, especially in relation to votes 
        condemning Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine;
Whereas South Africa reneged on its initial call for the Russian Federation to 
        immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine and has actively sought 
        improved relations with Moscow in the last year;
Whereas South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) and the 
        Chinese Communist Party (CCP) engage in consistent interparty 
        cooperation in spite of South Africa's Constitution being opposed to the 
        CCP's routine suppression of free expression and individual rights;
Whereas the ``United Front'' work of the CCP has established at least 3 
        ``overseas police stations'' in South Africa, and these police stations, 
        both in South Africa and in many other countries, are reportedly being 
        used to track and harass PRC dissidents;
Whereas South Africa hosts 6 Confucius Institutes, the most of any country in 
        Africa, and cooperates with the PRC under the CCP's Belt and Road 
        Initiative;
Whereas, in 2020, South Africa and the PRC established a joint bilateral 
        ``Comprehensive Strategic Partnership'', and maintain numerous prior and 
        subsequent agreements, memorandums of understanding, and similar 
        accords;
Whereas South Africa is the PRC's largest trading partner in Africa, with total 
        trade valued at $54,000,000,000 in 2021, and has accepted $5,000,000,000 
        in PRC-provided power and transportation sector loans since 2015;
Whereas South Africa is scheduled to hold the 15th leaders' meeting of the 
        informal Brazil, Russia, India, China grouping (BRICS) in August 2023;
Whereas the increased Chinese presence in South Africa's technology sector has 
        raised concerns that the ANC may be trying to copy the PRC's model of 
        digitally aided authoritarian governance underpinned by cyber controls, 
        social monitoring, and surveillance;
Whereas Vumacam, a South African company building a nationwide CCTV network, has 
        partnered with Chinese company Hikvision for the cameras' hardware, and 
        Telkom, South Africa's partially State-owned telecoms operator, launched 
        its 5G network throughout the country in October 2022 using technology 
        from Huawei Technologies;
Whereas the ANC has proved incapable of providing electricity to the South 
        African people, through its chronic mismanagement of the State-owned 
        power company Eskom, and on February 9, 2023, President of South Africa 
        Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster over the 
        worsening, multiyear power crisis;
Whereas South Africa will host joint maritime exercises, entitled ``Operation 
        Mosi II'', jointly with the PRC and Russia, between February 17 and 24, 
        2023, and the latter date corresponds to the 1-year anniversary of 
        Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine;
Whereas South Africa has used its stated stance of nonalignment in international 
        affairs to justify increasingly close relations with the PRC and Russia;
Whereas United States policy towards South Africa appears to have failed in 
        building a strong, reliable bilateral partner; and
Whereas it is in the national security interest of the United States to deter 
        acceptance, cooperation, and strategic information sharing with the PRC 
        and Russia: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) opposes South Africa's decision to host military 
        exercises with the People's Republic of China and the Russian 
        Federation from February 17 to February 24, 2023;
            (2) calls on the Government of South Africa to--
                    (A) cancel all future military exercises with the 
                People's Republic of China and Russia and rejoin United 
                States-led exercises, such as the ``Cutlass Express'';
                    (B) respect the United Nations charter and publicly 
                oppose Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of 
                Ukraine;
                    (C) strengthen its political resilience to reject 
                the Chinese Communist Party's authoritarian vision for 
                South Africa; and
                    (D) maintain its national sovereignty by reducing 
                its reliance on Chinese companies in key sectors such 
                as information and communication technology;
            (3) calls on the Biden administration to conduct a thorough 
        review of the current and future status of the United States-
        South Africa bilateral relationship in light of the 
        aforementioned actions of the Government of South Africa; and
            (4) calls on the United States Government to keep Congress 
        apprised by providing regular and comprehensive briefings on 
        subjects relating to South Africa including--
                    (A) a complete account of all known United States-
                sanctioned entities and transnational criminal 
                organizations' connections to illicit proceeds linked 
                to wildlife trafficking;
                    (B) a detailed account of positive economic results 
                stemming from South Africa's inclusion in the African 
                Growth and Opportunity Act and the United States-South 
                Africa Trade and Investment Framework signed in 2012; 
                and
                    (C) a timeline to end the Biden administration's 
                climate colonialism by including gas-to-power 
                initiatives to counter the widespread and nationwide 
                blackouts costing the South African economy an 
                estimated $200,000,000 per day.
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