Kankakee Times

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois) has been selected to serve on the House's China Task Force.

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California), appointed Kinzinger, an Air Force lieutenant colonel, to the year-old group created to address the threats posed by the Communist Party of China.

Kinzinger, who represents an area that includes all of Iroquois County and portions of Ford, Grundy, Livingston and Will counties, will work with other members of Congress on putting together a legislative strategy focusing on China’s influence inside the U.S., export control, foreign investment screening, and presence in American universities.

The lawmaker said in a news release obtained by the Daily Journal of Kankakee that he has called for greater oversight of the U.S.’s relationship with China.

“I’ve worked to strengthen our reviews of proposed investments by China and urged leaders to confront their improper and illegal trading practices that hurt our farmers and agriculture economy,” he said. "I’ve pushed for sanctions on bad actors in China who have threatened our communication networks and worked to strengthen our cyber capabilities as well as our space assets.”