WASHINGTON, Sept 9, (AP): How to curb and counter China's influence and power - through its biotech companies, drones and electric vehicles - will dominate the US House's first week back from summer break, with lawmakers taking up a series of measures targeting Beijing. Washington views Beijing as its biggest geopolitical rival, and the legislation is touted as ensuring the US prevails in the competition.

Many of the bills scheduled for a vote this week appear to have both Republican and Democratic support, reflecting strong consensus that congressional actions are needed to counter China. The legislation "will take meaningful steps to counter the military, economic and ideological threat of the Chinese Communist Party,” said Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and a Michigan Republican.

"There’s a bipartisan goal to win this competition.” Advocacy groups worry about the impact, warning against rhetoric that hurts Asian Americans and could create "an atmosphere of guilt by association or fuel divisiveness,” said Christine Chen, executive director of Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote. The Chinese Embassy in Washington called the legislation "new McCarthyism” that hypes the tensions in an election year.

If passed, the bills "will cause serious interference to China-US relations and mutually beneficial cooperation, and will inevitably damage the U.S.’s own interests, image and credibility,” spokesman Liu Pengyu said in a statement. Among the bills are efforts to reduce U.S. reliance on Chinese biotech companies, ban Chinese EVs and drones, restrict Chinese nationals from buying farmland, toughen export restrictions and revive a program to root out spying on US intellectual property.