[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 14, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11942-11943]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-4604]


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U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION


Notice of Open Public Hearing

AGENCY: U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

ACTION: Notice of open public hearing--March 29-30, 2007, Washington, 
DC.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the following hearing of the U.S.-
China Economic and Security Review Commission.
    Name: Carolyn Bartholomew, Chairman of the U.S.-China Economic and 
Security Review Commission.
    The Commission's statutory mandate from Congress, contained in Pub. 
L. 109-108, directs it to assess, among other key dynamics of the U.S.-
China relationship, ``the state of the security challenges presented by 
the People's Republic of China to the United States and whether the 
security challenges are increasing or decreasing from previous years.'' 
This hearing is part of the Commission's efforts to obtain the 
information it needs to fulfill this portion of its congressional 
mandate.
    Pursuant to this mandate, the Commission will hold a public hearing 
in Washington, DC on March 29-30, 2007 to address ``China's Military 
Modernization and its Impact on the United States and the Asia-
Pacific.''

Background

    This event is the second in a series of public hearings the 
Commission will hold during its 2007 report cycle to collect input from 
leading experts in government, the academe and industry, to examine 
China's capacity to wage war in the irregular, traditional, and 
disruptive domains as set fourth in the threat framework described in 
the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review. Subtopics to be explored include: 
Chinese perception management campaigns directed at the populations of 
other countries, doctrines and tactics of the People's Liberation Army 
(PLA) aimed at undermining the technological edge of U.S. forces 
(including newly-demonstrated anti-satellite capabilities), and the 
ways in which PLA modernization has affected the military balance 
across the Taiwan Strait.
    On March 29, the hearing will be divided into four sessions. In 
each session, commissioners will hear testimony from witnesses followed 
by a question and answer period between the Commissioners and the 
witnesses. Members of Congress will comprise the first panel and share 
their perspectives on the general issue of Chinese military 
modernization. The second panel will examine Beijing's doctrine on the 
conduct of irregular forms of warfare, including such acts as 
interrupting supply chains or manufacturing processes through economic 
means, managing perceptions about China in potentially hostile nations, 
and the use of cyber terrorism. The third session will explore topics 
related to PLA modernization in the domain of traditional warfare, 
especially as it relates to force integration and force projection. The 
fourth session will survey the military balance across the Taiwan 
Strait, including the implications of the significant intertwining of 
economic activity between actors in the PRC and Taiwan.
    On March 30, there will be two hearing sessions that examine 
China's disruptive warfare capabilities. The first session will focus 
on the tactics and doctrines aimed at undermining the current 
qualitative advantage of U.S. forces through asymmetric means, such as 
cruise missiles and submarine forces, in order to deter U.S. 
intervention in Pacific theater conflicts. The second session that 
morning (and the final session of the hearing) will examine the role 
that space and counter-space technology will play in disrupting U.S. 
operability in the region. Specifically, panelists will analyze what 
the January 2007 anti-satellite test means for the security of U.S. 
forces, the implications for free access and transit of outer space, 
and the effects of the resulting space debris.
    The hearing will be cochaired by Commissioners William Reinsch and 
Larry Wortzel.
    Information on this hearing, including a detailed hearing agenda 
and information about panelists, will be made available on the 
Commission's Web site closer to the hearing date. Detailed information 
about the Commission, the texts of its annual reports and hearing 
records, and the products of research it has commissioned can be found 
on the Commission's Web site at www.uscc.gov.
    Any interested party may file a written statement by March 29, 
2007, by mailing to the contact below.
    Dates And Times: Thursday, March 29, 2007, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern 
Standard Time and Friday, March 30, 2007, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

[[Page 11943]]


ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held on Capitol Hill in Room 562 of the 
Dirksen Senate Office Building located at First Street and Constitution 
Avenue, NE., Washington, DC 20510. Public seating is limited to 
approximately 50 people on a first come, first served basis. Advance 
reservations are not required.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information concerning the hearing should contact Kathy 
Michels, Associate Director of the U.S.-China Economic and Security 
Review Commission, 444 North Capitol Street, NW., Suite 602, 
Washington, DC 20001; phone: 202-624-1409, or via e-mail at 
[email protected].

    Authority: Congress created the U.S.-China Economic and Security 
Review Commission in 2000 in the National Defense Authorization Act 
(Pub. L. 106-398), as amended by Division P of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (Pub. L. 108-7), as amended by Pub. 
L. 109-108 (November 22, 2005) for the purpose of monitoring, 
investigating, and reporting to the Congress on the national 
security implications of the bilateral economic relationship between 
the United States and the People's Republic of China. It is charged 
with providing an annual report of its findings and recommendations 
to the Congress. The Commission is composed of twelve Commissioners 
appointed by the leaders of both parties in the U.S. House and U.S. 
Senate.

    Dated: March 8, 2007.
Kathleen J. Michels,
Associate Director, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
 [FR Doc. E7-4604 Filed 3-13-07; 8:45 am]
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