House Bill Could Lead to New Chinese Tech Export Controls, Sanctions
Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., reintroduced a bill last week that could lead to new export controls and sanctions against China. The China Technology Transfer Control Act, first introduced during the last Congress, calls on the president to impose restrictions on “any covered national interest technology or intellectual property” exported from the U.S. to China or by a U.S. person to China. It also would require the Commerce and State departments to submit a report to Congress within 90 days of the bill’s enactment “assessing” whether any covered technologies should be controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations or Export Administration Regulations.
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The bill broadly defines “covered national interest technology or intellectual property” as U.S. items that “would make a significant contribution” to China’s military in a way that would “prove detrimental” to U.S. national security. The definition also includes items that are a “component of the production of products included in the most recent list required under section 183 of the Trade Act of 1974” or technology used by the Chinese government “to carry out violations of human rights or religious liberties.”
The bill also would require the president to impose sanctions on any foreign person who “knowingly” sells or buys that technology or intellectual property from China or any Chinese person who “knowingly uses covered national interest technology or intellectual property” in violation of U.S. export controls.
Green said “we must be cautious about the technology we export to China. We must ensure we aren’t giving the [Chinese Communist Party] the tools to harm our nation or its own people.” The bill was referred to the House committees on Foreign Affairs and Ways and Means.