Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced a bill to exert more control on U.S. exports to China and admonish the latter for trade practices intended to exploit American technology. Hawley’s office said in a statement published Tuesday that the 2019 China Technology Transfer Control Act intends to prevent China from acquiring U.S. intellectual property to develop its military capabilities.Â
The legislation also seeks to mitigate the export of American “core technologies†which may be exploited for China’s “Made in China 2025†program focused on surpassing the U.S. in technological advancement. Core Technologies, which would be included in the Department of Commerce’s Export Control List, include capabilities under a range of subject areas such as robotics, lithium battery manufacturing, advanced construction, semiconductors and artificial intelligence.
“For too long, China has exploited American innovation to undermine our values and threaten our security. This legislation is an important step toward keeping American technology out of the hands of the Chinese government and its military,†Hawley said.
Other provisions under the bill include imposing sanctions to violators of the export control directive and a formal reprimanding of China for manipulative trade tactics and IP theft.