Republican leaders in Congress are blasting Chinese officials for opposing the repeal of Biden-era power plant regulations, saying Beijing’s comments prove China wants the U.S. to stay shackled by red tape that weakens domestic energy supply.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has moved to repeal emissions standards under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act and the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). These Biden-era rules forced the closure of coal, oil, and gas plants while raising energy costs for families and straining the electric grid. Zeldin argued the repeal will restore reliability and affordability, estimating $19 billion in regulatory savings over two decades.
But Jiao Yang, a deputy director general representing China at the WTO, submitted formal comments to the EPA calling the repeal “self-defeating” and urging the U.S. to maintain “technological neutrality” by prioritizing clean energy over coal and oil. Yang warned that scrapping the rules creates “trade uncertainty” and raises “operational risks.”
Republicans see Beijing’s intervention as blatant hypocrisy. While China urges America to abandon fossil fuels, it is racing ahead with coal development at home. A 2023 report revealed that China has built six times more coal plants than the rest of the world combined over the past seven years, hitting a 10-year high in construction.
House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) told Breitbart News that China’s comments were “questionable at best” given the CCP’s weak environmental record. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, called the move “concerning and hypocritical,” praising Zeldin for rolling back “burdensome and illegal rules.”
Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) said China’s objections are a sign America is “back” under President Trump’s energy agenda, while Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) warned: “We cannot allow a foreign adversary to shape U.S. laws, raise costs on American families, or undermine our energy security.”
