How to watch the House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee

Lives, not Leverage: the Long Arm of China and North Korea’s Repression

Reps. Moylan and Ivey: sanctions, refugee support, and CRINK coordination

Rep. Moylan asks how to use sanctions against PRC hostage diplomacy, with Mattis urging targeted pressure on state-owned enterprises and other economic interests, while Choi stresses reauthorizing the North Korean Human Rights Act and information campaigns; Rep. Ivey then raises deepening China–Russia–Iran–North Korea (CRINK) coordination and summit priorities, as Cha and Mattis warn about expanding Chinese satellite support and long‑term joint efforts that bolster authoritarian partners and embolden Kim Jong‑un.

In this chapter

1. Moylan Q&A: sanctions tools against PRC hostage diplomacy
2. Moylan and Ivey: supporting refugees and addressing CRINK alignment
3. Ivey and Kim: summit agenda and China–Russia–North Korea partnership

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Lives, not Leverage: the Long Arm of China and North Korea’s Repression

Rep. Bera Q&A: diaspora coercion and role of external information

Rep. Bera questions how Beijing coerces US‑based individuals via relatives in China, prompting Cha and Mattis to describe the CCP’s global view of ethnic Chinese as exploitable resources, and then explores how foreign media transformed North Korean perceptions, with Choi explaining how illicit South Korean dramas shattered regime narratives and motivated her escape.

In this chapter

1. Bera Q&A: coercion of diaspora via relatives in China
2. Bera Q&A: information access transforming North Korean perceptions

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Lives, not Leverage: the Long Arm of China and North Korea’s Repression

Chair Kim Q&A: PRC travel risks and North Korean Human Rights Act impact

Chair Kim probes how to deter PRC hostage-taking, with Mattis advocating tougher travel advisories that highlight academic and research risks, then examines the effectiveness of the North Korean Human Rights Act, with Cha and Choi stressing its importance for refugee resettlement, broadcasting, and expanded support for defectors.

In this chapter

1. Kim Q&A: China travel advisory and academic risk
2. Kim Q&A: impact of North Korean Human Rights Act and refugee support

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Lives, not Leverage: the Long Arm of China and North Korea’s Repression

Witness openings: North Korean human rights, refugees, and forced labor

Young Kim Republican

Deborah Choi recounts indoctrination, terror, escape, and trafficking, urging a human-rights-centered DPRK policy and opposition to refoulement from China, while Victor Cha details China’s systematic repatriation of North Korean refugees, joint PRC–DPRK forced labor networks, links to Russia’s war effort, and the need to reauthorize the North Korean Human Rights Act and raise Min Zin’s case.

In this chapter

1. Choi opening: childhood indoctrination and terror in North Korea
2. Choi: escape, trafficking in China, and policy appealsYoung Kim
3. Cha opening: China’s role in refoulement and forced labor networks

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Lives, not Leverage: the Long Arm of China and North Korea’s Repression

Witness openings: PRC transnational repression and wrongful detention

Young Kim Republican

Chair Kim introduces the panel as Peter Mattis outlines how PRC security laws enable extraterritorial repression, retrospective criminalization, and criminal acts on US soil, leading into Selva Zin’s account of her husband Min Zin’s opaque national security detention in China and her appeal for US government intervention.

In this chapter

1. Witnesses introduced and Mattis: nature of PRC transnational repressionYoung Kim
2. Mattis: legal overreach and proposed US countermeasures
3. Zin opening: wrongful detention of US academic in China

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Lives, not Leverage: the Long Arm of China and North Korea’s Repression

Hearing opening: mandate, scope, and bipartisan framing

Young Kim Republican

Chair Kim and Ranking Member Bera formally open the hearing, set the focus on China’s transnational repression, wrongful detention of Americans, and North Korea’s human rights abuses, and underline bipartisan priorities such as the North Korean Human Rights Act, Uyghur Policy Act, and support for Radio Free Asia.

In this chapter

1. Hearing convened: scope of China and North Korea repressionYoung Kim
2. Ranking Member Bera: bipartisan human rights priorities

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Charting a New Course: Countering China's Dominance in Global Shipbuilding

Member Q&A: U.S. industrial strategy, workforce, and legal framework

Sheri Biggs and 1 other

Members examine lessons from allied shipyards, U.S. innovation priorities, workforce development and exchanges, financing tools, greenfield and legacy yards, and Jones Act and LNG issues, focusing on how to expand domestic capacity while managing labor, environmental, and territorial concerns.

In this chapter

1. Rep. Biggs (SC): dual-use lessons for U.S. yards and innovation focusSheri Biggs
2. Rep. Amo (RI): workforce development and secure supply chains
3. Rep. Barr (KY): advanced methods, predatory finance, and greenfield yards

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Charting a New Course: Countering China's Dominance in Global Shipbuilding

Chair and Ranking Member Q&A: dual-use risk and allied production models

The Chair and Ranking Member question witnesses on Chinese dual‑use yards, tariffs, sanctions, and the proposed Maritime Group of Nations, and explore phased ‘bridge’ production models using allied yards for Arctic cutters, technology transfer safeguards, and allied maintenance capacity.

In this chapter

1. Chair questions: dual-use, tariffs, sanctions, and Maritime Group
2. Ranking Member Bera: Arctic cutters, phased ‘bridge’ strategy, maintenance

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Charting a New Course: Countering China's Dominance in Global Shipbuilding

Expert testimony: China’s shipbuilding power and allied options

Think tank witnesses from CSIS, Heritage, and Stimson detail China’s dual‑use shipbuilding capacity, economic and security risks, and propose tools ranging from transparency and export controls to an ‘M7’ maritime group, coordinated allied investment, and a central U.S. coordinator.

In this chapter

1. CSIS: scale of China’s dual-use shipbuilding and allied response
2. Heritage Foundation: M7 concept and urgent maritime revival
3. Stimson Center: economic, security risks and labor–supply–demand gaps

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Charting a New Course: Countering China's Dominance in Global Shipbuilding

Hearing opening, strategic framing, and witnesses

The Chair and Ranking Member frame China’s dominance in shipbuilding and the need for a coordinated allied industrial strategy, then introduce the expert witnesses and set procedural ground rules for the hearing.

In this chapter

1. Opening of hearing and strategic framing
2. Ranking Member Bera: bipartisan industrial base concerns
3. Witness introductions and ground rules

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More Bang for the Buck: Aligning Commercial Diplomacy Between State and Commerce

ESZ governance, U.S. tools, FTAs, and Africa corridors

Members and witnesses examine lessons from Honduran ZEDEs, whole‑of‑government competition with China, EXIM and DFC roles, the critical‑minerals ‘Vault’, and how to avoid state‑owned‑enterprise models while still using DPA, ESZs, FTAs, and political‑risk insurance to anchor durable, rules‑based zones, improve oversight, and build logistics corridors such as Lobito in Africa.

In this chapter

1. Chair–Brimen: ZEDEs vs. Trump economic security zones
2. Hollomon and Sullivan: China’s whole-of-government model and U.S. tools
3. Rep. Davidson: EXIM ‘Vault’ and critical mineral stockpiles

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More Bang for the Buck: Aligning Commercial Diplomacy Between State and Commerce

Chair synthesis and initial member Q&A

The chair synthesizes key themes and opens questioning, as Representatives Baird and Max Miller probe technology diplomacy, STEM capacity in embassies, financing and political risk tools, and priority geographies for expanding economic security zones, including Africa, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere.

In this chapter

1. Chair synthesis and segue to member questions
2. Rep. Baird: tech diplomacy, STEM training, and financing
3. Rep. Max Miller: ESZ geography and Africa partnerships

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More Bang for the Buck: Aligning Commercial Diplomacy Between State and Commerce

Witness opening statements: ESZs, minerals, infrastructure, trade

Witnesses outline how rule‑of‑law economic zones, critical minerals processing, strategic infrastructure exports, and market‑opening trade agreements can reduce PRC leverage, manage political risk, and support resilient, allied supply chains.

In this chapter

1. Brimen: rule-of-law zones and political risk
2. Hollomon: critical minerals dependency on China
3. Sullivan: infrastructure, EXIM, and commercial diplomacy
4. Packard: tariffs, allies, and trade agreements

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More Bang for the Buck: Aligning Commercial Diplomacy Between State and Commerce

Chair and Ranking Member: mandate and witnesses

The chair and ranking member set the hearing’s mandate on economic security zones, China dependence, tariffs, and allied architecture, before the chair introduces witnesses and defines the focus on governance, critical minerals, infrastructure, and private investment incentives.

In this chapter

1. Chair: opening of hearing and Trump economic agenda
2. Ranking Member: tariffs, costs, and ESZ skepticism
3. Chair response and witness introductions

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Implementing an America First Approach in the East Asia and Pacific Region

First-round Q&A: America First critique, Pacific posture, and critical minerals

Questioning shifts to the impact of America First policies on soft power and aid, Guam and regional basing for Coast Guard and air assets, PRC coercion via critical minerals and allied diversification efforts, and arms sales and industrial-base issues including Taiwan F-16s and US-Japan critical minerals cooperation.

In this chapter

1. Q&A: Amo: critique of America First, soft power and aid cuts
2. Q&A: Guam: Coast Guard cutters, cabotage, and IUU fishing
3. Q&A: Castro: PRC critical minerals coercion and ASEAN multilateral office
4. Q&A: Biggs: Taiwan F-16s, FMS processes, US-Japan critical minerals

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Implementing an America First Approach in the East Asia and Pacific Region

First-round Q&A: South China Sea, Taiwan defense, and regional conflicts

Members press DeSombre on deterring PRC actions in the South China Sea, supporting the Philippines and Vietnam, countering online scam networks and Burma’s civil war, reinforcing Pacific Island resilience against PRC leverage, and sustaining US commitments to Taiwan and human rights in China, including Uyghurs and Tibetans.

In this chapter

1. Q&A: Chair: South China Sea, Philippines, Vietnam minerals and rights
2. Q&A: Bera: online scam centers and Burma civil war
3. Q&A: Pacific Islands debt, PRC influence, and US response

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Implementing an America First Approach in the East Asia and Pacific Region

Hearing opening and Indo-Pacific strategy framing

The chair and ranking member open the subcommittee hearing, set out the Indo-Pacific security, economic, and human-rights agenda, and introduce Assistant Secretary DeSombre to present the administration’s America First regional strategy and priorities for alliances, supply chains, and countering the PRC.

In this chapter

1. Hearing opening: mandate and Indo-Pacific focus
2. Chair opening statement: Taiwan, South China Sea, fentanyl, alliances
3. Ranking Member opening: ASEAN, Quad, AUKUS, narcotics
4. Witness introduced and opening statement: America First Indo-Pacific strategy

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Beijing’s Poison Pipeline: The CCP’s Role in the Fentanyl Crisis

Second Q&A round: PRC enforcement, dual-use chemicals, subsidies

A second questioning round probes China’s enforcement will, industrial incentives for chemical exports, dual-use precursor controls, risks of diversion and emerging suppliers like India, and Guam’s exposure, focusing on governance failures, VAT rebates, anti–money laundering cooperation, and targeted controls on key precursors and pill presses.

In this chapter

1. Chair Kim Q&A (Round 2): PRC enforcement, industrial incentives
2. Bera Q&A (Round 2): dual‑use chemicals, India, and future waves
3. Moylan Q&A (Round 2): Chinese subsidies, money laundering, Guam risk

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Beijing’s Poison Pipeline: The CCP’s Role in the Fentanyl Crisis

Biotech and pharmaceutical security: U.S.–China dependencies

Representative Biggs and the witnesses examine broader biotech and pharma risks from China, including FDA standards, supply-chain decoupling, and AI-enabled drug development, and stress the need for urgent congressional action while recognizing limits to fully excluding China from global R&D chains.

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Beijing’s Poison Pipeline: The CCP’s Role in the Fentanyl Crisis

First Q&A round: PRC role, global spread, territorial impacts

Members press witnesses on Beijing’s tolerance of money laundering, fentanyl’s spread through global routes, the balance of supply, demand and harm reduction, and specific vulnerabilities in Guam and Rhode Island, with discussion of naloxone access, multilateral coordination, and the impact of past U.S.–China diplomatic and health-program cutbacks.

In this chapter

1. Chair Kim Q&A: illicit finance, PRC will, and sanctions
2. Bera Q&A (Round 1): global spread, novel synthetics, prevention
3. Moylan and Amo: Guam vulnerabilities and Trump–Xi diplomacy

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Beijing’s Poison Pipeline: The CCP’s Role in the Fentanyl Crisis

Hearing opening: mandate, crisis framing, witnesses

The Chair and Ranking Member set the hearing’s scope on PRC-linked synthetic opioids and sanctions, then introduce the expert panel, which details the scale of fentanyl deaths, China’s role in precursor supply, and proposed diplomatic, regulatory, and financial tools.

In this chapter

1. Subcommittee opening: CCP, fentanyl crisis, sanctions
2. Ranking Member Bera: supply vs. demand and prevention
3. Witness panel introduced: Lucky, Yates, Liu

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