[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 125 (Thursday, July 20, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 China

  Mr. President, on one final matter, this week, the Biden 
administration's climate envoy, John Kerry, was in Beijing on a mission 
to get Beijing to cut its carbon emissions.
  As China continues to oppress its own people and threaten peaceful 
neighbors in the Indo-Pacific, our former colleague apparently thought 
he could get Chinese officials to treat leftwing climate policy as a 
``freestanding'' issue. Well, by all accounts, the administration's 
envoy was unsuccessful on that front. It appears he did not meet with 
the Chinese foreign minister or President Xi.
  Meanwhile, China's leader used his latest public remarks to reiterate 
that he didn't plan to curb increasing emissions--let alone start 
lowering them--for another 7 years.
  So let me put it another way. Over the last 7 years, the U.S. economy 
cut its emissions by 5 percent while China increased its own by 12 
percent. While the Biden administration waged war on affordable energy 
and decimated coal country, China made plans for hundreds--hundreds--of 
new coal plants. While President Biden has tried to cut defense 
spending after inflation, the PRC has plowed ahead with investments in 
domestic industry and military modernization.
  Perhaps the administration's climate envoy would be interested in the 
carbon emissions of China's fast-growing navy or the fuel efficiency of 
its hypersonic missiles. The PRC appears to be all too happy to trade 
nonbinding international commitments for more of America's jobs, 
prosperity, and national security.
  America's top adversary clearly recognizes what the Biden 
administration does not: You can't win a strategic competition by 
hamstringing your own economy, and you can't expect to convince your 
rival to follow suit voluntarily.
  According to the PRC's summary of this week's meetings, the U.S. 
needs to ``properly handle the Taiwan issue'' in exchange for any of 
the hollow, unenforceable promises the Biden administration hoped China 
would make on its carbon emissions.
  Sell out a peaceful democracy in exchange for leftwing climate 
priorities? No one should be surprised that Beijing responded to the 
administration's naive demands on climate with a priority of its own. 
On that count, the Biden administration's envoy deserves some credit 
for walking away. But this is hardly the only time Democrats have gone 
looking in the wrong places for an edge in our competition with China.
  Here is the truth: The way to keep America safe and prosperous is to 
invest in hard power and deter those who wish us harm. And this week, 
as the Senate continues our work on the NDAA, our colleagues have an 
opportunity to demonstrate that they understand this basic essential 
reality.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican whip.