US Senator Marco Rubio says the Trump administration should not allow Beijing to bully US businesses into towing its line.
In a letter to US President Donald Trump, Rubio wrote that Trump should approve laws that punish China for attempting to silence free speech in the US.
Rubio wrote about China’s recent decision to stop broadcasting NBA games on domestic television. The move came after general manager of the Houston Rockets Daryl Morey tweeted support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The NBA’s commissioner then publically supported Morey’s right to free speech, angering Beijing.
Rubio wrote that China’s retaliation against the NBA is only one example of the threats and demands it makes to US companies. He urged Trump to enact laws that would punish those who force US companies or citizens to tow China’s line on issues like Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Tibet. He named the US subsidiaries and affiliates of several major Chinese companies as possible targets of these laws.