China rips Senate-approved bill to improve US competitiveness

China on Wednesday condemned a newly passed, bipartisan U.S. bill meant to improve American competitiveness and level the playing field with China on a variety of technological issues.

China’s Foreign Affairs Committee issued a statement rebuking the legislation as an attack on the country’s political system and an attempt at undermining its development, The Associated Press reports.

The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act invests billions of dollars into addressing technology issues such as the ongoing semiconductor shortage and research and development to surpass Chinese innovations. It also invests $500 million over five years to establish a program for ongoing cybersecurity concerns.

“This bill seeks to exaggerate and spread the so-called ‘China threat’ to maintain global American hegemony, using human rights and religion as excuses to interfere in China’s domestic politics, and deprive China of its legitimate development rights,” the Chinese statement read, according to the AP. “No force should expect that China will swallow any bitter fruit that harms China’s sovereignty, security or development interests.”

The AP reports that the committee also lambasted provisions within the bill that expressed support for Taiwan, the island nation that China lays claim over; referenced Hong Kong, where pro-democracy protests have been ongoing for several years now; and criticized China’s actions in the Xinjiang region, where multiple countries have alleged China is carrying out a genocide against the Uighur ethnic minority.

These issues are “purely China’s internal affairs and absolutely no foreign interference will be tolerated,” the statement read.

“It is a matter for the U.S. itself as to how to develop and enhance its competitiveness. But we firmly oppose the U.S. making an issue of China and treating China as an imaginary enemy,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a daily briefing, the AP notes.