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Julia Johnson, Trending News Editor


NextImg:GOP representative accuses State Department of stonewalling Congress on China ahead of Beijing trip


EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) wrote a letter on Wednesday accusing the State Department of stonewalling Congress when it comes to information regarding the United States's recent engagements and relationship with China. This comes days before Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to Beijing, which is scheduled to take place between June 16 and 21.

In the letter obtained exclusively by the Washington Examiner, Kim writes that she and several other Republican representatives are "deeply concerned" by "the Bureau of East Asia and the Pacific’s (EAP’s), unwillingness to engage with the United States Congress about our high-level engagement with the People’s Republic of China."

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Kim is chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Indo-Pacific.

Other signatories of the letter are Reps. Ann Wagner (R-MO), Ken Buck (R-CO), Mark Green (R-TN), and Andy Barr (R-KY). Amata Coleman Radewagen, a delegate for American Samoa, also signed the letter. Each member also serves on the Indo-Pacific subcommittee.

The Washington Examiner understands that some of their Democratic colleagues expressed interest in signing on before being warned not to join the letter.

Rep. Young Kim.

On June 12, Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Kritenbrink abruptly canceled a scheduled appearance at a Wednesday House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Indo-Pacific hearing focused on the department's budget for East Asia and the Pacific. He cited his upcoming travel to Beijing as the reason.

According to the letter, his office further "rejected our request to hear from your Deputy."

"We are concerned this is yet another example of a broader unwillingness to engage with Congress, and potentially hold back on action against the PRC, to defer to upcoming meetings with Beijing," Kim wrote.

In a statement provided to the Washington Examiner by a spokesperson, Kim said, “Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink could have easily testified to the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee as scheduled on Wednesday before his trip with Secretary Blinken two days later, on Friday."

"The State Department’s recent engagement with Beijing and refusal to comply with Congressional oversight only warrants questions about their strategy to assert U.S. leadership against the Chinese Communist Party,” she added.

Further, she said, “The CCP’s recent moves towards the United States — from spy balloons to surveillance bases — cannot go unnoticed or unchallenged. I will continue to press for answers and transparency from this administration, so we can hold authoritarian regimes accountable and project strength on the world stage.”

According to the letter, the signatories "expect to have close, sustained, and regular engagement with the State Department, and especially with EAP about high-level U.S. meetings with PRC officials."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

In response to the department's less than communicative nature, the subcommittee is additionally requesting that Kritenbrink "brief the Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific on July 18th, and be prepared to answer questions about our engagement with PRC officials in addition to our spending programs."

The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.