Rep. Austin Scott Meets with Taiwanese Ambassador as Rep. Drew Ferguson Lambasts Biden for Oil Relations with Communist China

Addison Basurto

U.S. Representatives Austin Scott (R-GA-08) and Drew Ferguson (GA-03) were among the delegation of American officials that met the Taiwanese Ambassador to the United States Hsiao Bi-khim at a China Task Force roundtable on Thursday.

Rep. Scott took the opportunity to express his frustration at the Biden administration for its stance on energy and the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

“When we talk about Communist China, we have to recognize that communism in and of itself is a threat to the free world. I joined GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy and Taiwanese Ambassador Hsiao at a China Task Force roundtable to discuss how to support Taiwan while they face threats from the CCP,” Congressman Scott said. 

“Communist China is particularly aggressive, not just with Taiwan. They are illegally fishing off the west coast of Africa. It wasn’t that long ago that another communist country actually asked the United States for assistance in combatting the illegal fishing which was occurring in Vietnam and our former President [Trump] sent an aircraft carrier over there as a sign of strength,” Scott said.

Scott brought an invitation extended to the Taiwanese Navy to participate in the 2024 RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific Exercise), the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise operation.

“Just know it won’t be just the US that comes to your aid, it would be other countries as well on the quad. Australia is committed. Japan is committed and India is committed as well,” Congressman Scott said to Ambassador Hsiao on Thursday.

“We certainly need to make sure that when China looks at the calculus that they understand that there’s going to be a whole lot more pain than there is benefit to moving against your country,” he added.

Congressman Ferguson also alluded to an amendment proposed by the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05), to House Resolution 8294 (H.R.8294) that would ban oil exports to China and the CCP.

“Thanks to Biden, China is adding to its oil reserves with oil from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve. And this week, House Dems blocked a vote to prevent the sale of U.S. oil to Communist China. This is the Democrats America LAST policy!” Ferguson said on Thursday.

The U.S. Department of Energy under Biden announced in April the sale of 950,000 barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to Unipec, part of China Petrochemical Corporation, which is owned solely by the Chinese government.

“Biden sending oil from the United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve overseas smells to high heaven,” Congressman Ferguson said. “While Americans are paying record high prices at the pump, this administration decides to give our oil to the EU and China.”

According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), The SPR’s level of 492 million barrels is the lowest it has been since December 1985. Already it is 20 percent lower than its level prior to when Biden first tapped into it in November.

“If POTUS sending barrels of oil from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China wasn’t bad enough, this week he’ll travel to beg Saudi Arabia to export more oil. Biden’s America LAST energy policy is on full display and it’s absolutely appalling,” Ferguson said.

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 Addison Basurto is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and TheStar News Network. Follow Addy on Twitter and GETTR. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Austin Scott (Left)” by Austin Scott. Photo “Drew Ferguson (Right)” by Drew Ferguson. 

 

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