(Central News Agency) The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Monday restricting sales of the U.S. strategic oil reserve to entities linked to the Chinese government.

The bill was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives today with 331 votes in favor and 97 votes against. In addition to Republican lawmakers supporting the bill, 113 Democratic lawmakers also joined the ranks in favor of the legislation.

Please read on...

The bill, introduced by House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, would ban the sale of any petroleum products from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to companies "owned, controlled or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. Any entity affected” and will ask the U.S. Department of Energy to ensure that crude oil will not be exported to China as a condition of the sale.

Speaking before the vote, Rogers said the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve was meant to deal with disruptions in energy supplies such as hurricanes and natural disasters, not to help China.

Depleting the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve for political purposes and selling some of it to China is a major threat to U.S. national security.

Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, also opposes oil exports to China, but he doesn't think the Republican bill fully addresses the issue.

The bill will be sent to the Federal Senate for a vote.

If passed, it will be sent to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign into law.

(Editor: Yang Zhaoyan) 1120113