Washington: Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi on Wednesday (local time) was appointed to serve as Ranking Member on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

"I'm grateful to Leader Jeffries for appointing me to serve as Ranking Member on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party," said Congressman Krishnamoorthi.

The new committee was formed in the 118th Congress for the specific purpose of investigating and developing policy to address the United States' economic, technological, and security competition with the Chinese Communist Party.

Krishnamoorthi further stated that China poses serious economic and security threats to the United States and to democracy and prosperity across the globe, illustrated by its threats against Taiwan's democracy, its weaponization of TikTok, and its theft of hundreds of billions of dollars worth of American intellectual property.

"I look forward to working with my colleagues in both parties on this committee to counteract the CCP's escalating aggression and ensure that our nation is prepared to overcome the economic and security challenges that the CCP presents to our country," said Krishnamoorthi.

He also laid stress on anti-Asian hate and violence that are on the rise.

"It's essential that this committee focuses its vital work on protecting all Americans from the threat posed by the CCP, while avoiding dangerous rhetoric that fuels the types of xenophobia that have endangered members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community," he added.

Krishnamoorthi, who is also a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is the lead Democrat on the Averting the National Threat of Internet Surveillance, Oppressive Censorship and Influence, and Algorithmic Learning by the Chinese Communist Party Act (ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act), which protects Americans by blocking and prohibiting all transactions from any social media company in, or under the influence of, the People's Republic of China (PRC) and several other foreign adversaries.

In the 117th Congress, he led bipartisan legislation that was signed into law, called the Gathering and Reporting Assessments Yielding Zero Overlooked Nefarious Efforts (GRAY ZONE) Act, which requires the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to produce a National Intelligence Estimate on different aspects of gray zone activities - actions that fall between ordinary statecraft and open warfare - that the PRC employs.

Krishnamoorthi was also the lead Democrat on the bipartisan Transparency for Malign Chinese Investments in Global Port Infrastructure Act, which requires the DNI to study and report to Congress information related to Chinese global investments in port infrastructure.