Washington (AFP) - US lawmakers on a new committee pressing a tough line on China will seek cooperation with Britain on their first foreign visit, people involved said Wednesday.
Representative Mike Gallagher, the Republican who heads the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, said he would address Beijing's alleged theft of Western technology and its repression outside of its borders, among other concerns.
"Chinese Communist Party aggression is global, and the United States and United Kingdom face common economic, military and ideological threats posed by the CCP," Gallagher said.
"I look forward to working with my friends in parliament and the government to build upon our special relationship and fight CCP aggression and malign influence across the globe," he said.
The lawmakers will meet senior British policymakers on Friday including Defense Minister Ben Wallace, a source close to the committee said, and also take part in a conference on security.
The House of Representatives established the special committee after the Republican victory in November elections, with a goal of addressing the "existential threat" of a rising China, although it also includes lawmakers from President Joe Biden's Democratic Party.
Britain, while frequently critical of China, has also put a focus on engagement with Beijing.
In a speech last month, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said he does not "see anything inevitable about conflict between China and the United States and the wider West."
The United States increasingly has engaged with Western allies on China including through dialogue with the European Union and within NATO.
