Chairman John Moolenaar has expressed concerns regarding the United States and China Science and Technology Agreement (STA). In a letter to Department of Commerce Under Secretary Kathi Vidal, Moolenaar urges the Administration to assess the national security risks of the STA, suggesting that the Chinese Communist Party has exploited this agreement for military advancement.
Alongside Moolenaar, the letter is signed by Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and Representatives Blaine Luetkemeyer, Andy Barr, Michelle Steel, and Carlos Gimenez. The lawmakers argue that the U.S.-PRC STA presents a clear national security risk by facilitating Chinese access to U.S. dual-use research.
The letter states, “The Biden Administration must stop fueling our own destruction and allow the STA to expire.” They call for the Commerce Department and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to provide detailed data about the agreement’s impact, particularly regarding patents involving Chinese inventors funded by the U.S. government since 2010.
They seek information on:
- Patents filed annually at the USPTO involving Chinese inventors.
- The technology classes and funding sources for these inventions.
- The inventors’ affiliations with the Chinese military or entities under U.S. export control laws.
- Awareness of any patents filed in China that replicate U.S. patents.
The letter underscores previous calls by the Select Committee to let the STA expire to mitigate potential risks to U.S. national security.
Source: Letter to Commerce on Data on Tech Transfer Through US, PRC STA.
