A group of U.S. lawmakers banded together on Friday to focus congressional attention on how China's rise affects the United States in areas ranging from energy demand to trade to military spending, Reuters reported. Randy Forbes, a Virginia Republican, said he and eight members of the House of Representatives started the bipartisan Congressional China Caucus to ensure that Americans become aware of China's emergence as an economic, political and military power. "The public still hasn't gotten the full picture of what's going on with China because we're so overwhelmed with Iraq and Iran and North Korea," Forbes said in a telephone interview with Reuters. "I really don't see this country having developed the plans to deal with China like I know China has developed the plans to deal with us," he said. The caucus would meet frequently and enlist "the best minds in America" to educate lawmakers and the public on China issues, including a $162 billion U.S. trade deficit with the Asian giant, Forbes said. --More 0001 Local Time 2101 GMT
