May 23, 2019 / 3:45 PM / Updated 14 hours ago
U.S. defence bill takes aim at China's growing influence
Mike Stone, Patricia Zengerle
4 Min Read
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate Armed Services Committee unveiled a draft bill on Thursday that targets China on several fronts, from stemming the erosion of the U.S. military advantage against Beijing to countering the growing Chinese influence around the world.
The $750-billion proposal would also authorise the U.S. military to buy more Lockheed Martin F-35 jets and fully fund a programme to modernize the U.S. nuclear weapon arsenal.
The committee acknowledged that “our margin of military supremacy has eroded and is undermined by new threats from strategic competitors like China and Russia.â€
The panel addressed what Congress sees as the threat from China, including stricter reporting of Beijing’s “Belt and Road†international lending programme.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-defense-spending/u-s-defence-bill-takes-aim-at-chinas-growing-influence-idUKKCN1ST2JC?rpc=401&
