Congress told to tighten grip on tech transfer to China

The methods—legal or otherwise—that Chinese companies use to get intellectual property and technology from the United States should be subject to greater scrutiny, according to a report prepared for Congress.

Acquisition of US technologies by Chinese companies is “unique” according to the report published on 6 May by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which monitors the national security implications of US-China trade for Congress. 

This is because the Chinese government has “prioritised technology transfer as a matter of policy and provides direct and indirect support to companies engaging in these anticompetitive activities”, said the report written by Sean O’Connor, a researcher at the commission.