U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION – FACT SHEET
Establishment: The Commission was created on October 30, 2000 by the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for 2001 § 1238, Pub. L. No. 106-398 (Oct. 30, 2000) (codified at 22 U.S.C.§ 7002 (2001)); as amended by the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for 2002 § 645 (regarding employment status of staff) & § 648 (regarding changing annual report due date from March to June), Pub. L. No. 107-67, (Nov. 12, 2001); as amended by Division P of the “Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003,” Pub L. No. 108-7 (Feb. 20, 2003) (regarding Commission name change, terms of Commissioners, and responsibilities of Commission); as amended by the Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and related agencies Appropriations Act of 2006, Pub. L. No. 109-108 (Nov. 22, 2005) (regarding responsibilities of Commission and applicability of FACA); as amended by Pub. L. No. 110-161 (Dec., 26, 2007) (regarding changes in annual report due date, submission of financial reports, printing and binding of Congressional reports, employee compensation and performance reviews, and applicability of House rules for travel by members and staff); as amended by the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 § 1259b, Pub. L. No. 113-291 (Dec. 19, 2014) (regarding changes to matters for discussion in annual reports of the Commission).
Purpose: To monitor, investigate, and submit to congress an annual report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, and to provide recommendations, where appropriate, to Congress for legislative and administrative action.
Composition: The Commission is comprised of 12 members, three of whom are selected by each of the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate, and the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the House. The Commissioners serve two-year terms.
Staff: The commissioners are supported by policy and administrative staff with extensive backgrounds in trade, economics, weapons proliferation, foreign policy, and U.S.-PRC relations. Some are fluent or proficient in Chinese (Mandarin), and most have significant prior working and traveling experience in China and Taiwan.