Lawmakers Demand Action From Pentagon on CCP’s Seabed Mining

‘We cannot afford to allow China to capture and exploit seabed resources, which the CCP has characterized as “a new frontier for international competition.”’

Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.) look on as Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) speaks at a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 2, 2021. Pete Marovich/Getty Images

A group of lawmakers has urged the Pentagon to develop a plan to address the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) activities in seabed mining as Beijing is set to dominate the area. 

In a letter dated Dec. 7 to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Reps. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and a group of over 30 lawmakers raised concerns about the CCP’s investment in seabed mining, which potentially strengthens Beijing’s dominance in critical mineral resources.