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Condemn the Chinese government for oppressing Christians and prisoners of conscience Frankly, one of China's most serious problems right now, by their own admission, is corruption. But the most oppressed are Christians. I have heard too much about it, I have been directly and indirectly involved in China's affairs for 40 years, they are still oppressed to this day, many Christians are generally very honest people, they are very upright, they will be good citizens , would be good employees and would play a good role in society and culture, so I don't understand why they oppress these people, most of them would be model citizens.

US and China are strategic competitors Reporter: You are also a member of the Congressional Executive Commission on China (CECC). In general, how would you describe the current US-China relationship? Congressman Pitangel: Our relationship is a strategic competitor, and we have different views on a lot of issues, including life, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, personal lifestyle and things that the American people hold dear. America has its own flaws, and when I talk to Chinese friends or other leaders, I don't take a proud attitude and say that America has nothing wrong with it. Our TV is full of violent images, we have racial issues, drug issues, and America has its own shortcomings, but in my candid conversation with my Chinese friends, I told them that I see your country's problems, if we can honestly discuss these issues, it will be right There are benefits for both of us.

Reporter: On the other hand, we also need China's cooperation on many issues, the most important being the North Korean nuclear crisis. Many people think that China has not done enough. In the current climate, how can the United States get China to provide more help on this issue? Congressman Pitangier: I believe there are many benefits for China to cooperate with the United States. I am not only worried about North Korea's nuclear capabilities and long-range missiles, but I am also worried that they will sell these technologies to our adversaries and terrorists, so China and President Xi Jinping should be worried about this. I believe China has taken more action this time than ever, but North Korea is completely dependent on China economically. I believe that North Korea cannot survive without China, and I believe that when China takes a long-term view, they will see the negative impact of North Korea's acquisition of these strategic technologies, so it is in everyone's interest to fully cooperate with us.

China reaps huge benefits from most-favored-nation status Reporter: President Trump has been criticizing the huge trade imbalance between the United States and China. Many people are worried that a trade war is imminent. Are you worried that a full-scale trade war will occur between the United States and China this year? How do voters in your constituency view this issue? Congressman Pitangel: Since the United States granted China MFN status in the early 1990s, China has benefited enormously from it. They were struggling, but since they got MFN status, their economy has grown rapidly, so the US is a very valuable partner for China, and the American consumer is also a very important partner for China, I think President Trump What we want is a fairer trade agreement. We support free trade, but what we want is fair trade. Trump, as a businessman, believes that all U.S. trade agreements with China and Southeast Asia, including the TPP, should be reassessed. He believes that we should sign bilateral agreements with these countries, and I believe we can move in that direction. All countries, whether it's China, France, the UK, or other countries, they put their own country first, so I give credit to President Trump for putting America first.

MP Pitangier: Chinese President Xi Jinping has set an economic plan for China from now to 2025. He wants China to be superior in various fields of science and technology by 2050. He is our strategic competitor and we understand Their mission, of course, we put American interests first, and we want to make sure that our technology stays ahead of the curve, and we don't allow foreign governments to gain access to those technologies through any means.

Reporter: In the past ten years, China has not only acquired many American companies at a rapid pace, but also made large-scale investments around the world, the most important one being the Belt and Road Initiative. Analysts say it is one of the largest infrastructure and investment projects ever undertaken in the world. How should the United States view China's massive investment project? What does this mean for America?

MP PITANGER: Yes, we need to pass this bill, and I'm sure it will. President Trump, Defense Secretary Mattis, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Attorney General Sessions all supported the bill. This is a very important bill for our national security, and it's currently in the House Financial Services Committee, and we're evaluating it in committee, and the Senate Banking Committee is evaluating it, and I'm sure the House will pass this bill in the spring. I don't really know the Senate schedule, but I hope to get this bill on the president's desk before we adjourn in August.

Hope to get the bill to the president's desk by August Reporter: President Trump has now expressed support for this bill, and the bill has also received support from many bipartisan members. What is the next step for this bill? Do you maintain hope that this case will be passed this year?

Reporter: Can you give an example of which Chinese acquisitions of American companies are currently of particular interest to you? MP PITANGER: We have the example of ZTE, which is owned by China. Sadly, we didn't find out until last year that they sold $1 billion worth of telecommunications technology to Iran, which was a serious breach, and we also know that US semiconductor companies were acquired by our adversaries for purely national security reasons . That's bad, and this bill will help prevent takeovers like that.

The Foreign Investment Risk Review Update Act aims to protect national security, not block trade Reporter: If the United States does not expand the scrutiny of these foreign investments, what will be the impact on the national security of the United States? Congressman Pitangere: This bill focuses on the acquisition, partnership, or joint venture by foreign companies of U.S. businesses with military technology, as well as real estate transactions related to U.S. military bases. That's the purpose of the bill, it's not a broad bill, it's not meant to prevent trade with partners, including China. For example, Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork processing company, is in my constituency. This company is owned by a Chinese company. It's a good investment. It's good for them and it's good for us. A nearby textile company is also owned by China. So this bill is not designed to deter foreign investment, but is specifically designed to ensure that Chinese or other foreign companies or governments cannot access our technology through partnerships, joint ventures, and acquisitions with U.S. companies.

MP PITANGER: All right. We did not specifically identify China in the bill. The purpose of the bill is to respond to the huge increase in foreign investment. When the bill establishing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States was passed in the mid-1970s, under President Ford at the time, foreign investment in the U.S. was few and far between, and now the amount of foreign investment in the U.S. has grown substantially, including Chinese investment in the U.S. For example, Chinese investment in the United States has grown from $4 billion a year in 2000 to $46 billion now, so the growth rate is quite large. But we don't have the resources, infrastructure, and manpower to oversee investments of this magnitude right now, which is why we must expand the authority of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to allow them to review these investments.

Reporter: Congressman Pitangil, thank you for accepting the VOA interview. MP PITANGER: I am delighted to be here. Reporter: You recently proposed a bipartisan bill, the Foreign Investment Risk Review Update Act, which would expand the authority of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and conduct stricter scrutiny on Chinese investment in the United States. Could you please tell us about this bill?

Among the many proposals, one of the most important is the proposal by Senate Republican Whip Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Republican Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC) ), respectively, in the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA) proposed by the two chambers.

It is hoped that further regulation of foreign investment in the United States will be made to prevent such investment from negatively affecting the national security and economic competitiveness of the United States.

Capitol Hill - Chinese investment in the United States has grown dramatically over the past decade or so. According to a survey by the American Enterprise Institute, between 2005 and 2017, investment from China totaled $170 billion. In the face of such changes, many congressmen have proposed bills in recent years