Republican Lawmakers Call for Review of U.S.-China Scientific Cooperation Agreement.
Republican lawmakers are urging the U.S. State Department to reconsider renewing the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement, citing concerns about China’s military ambitions. The decades-old agreement, which has facilitated collaboration in various scientific fields, is set to expire on August 27. Lawmakers argue that China’s increasing military capabilities and instances of intellectual property theft warrant a reassessment of the agreement’s continuation.
In a letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the chair of the U.S. House of Representatives’ select committee on China, Mike Gallagher, along with nine other Republican representatives, called for the agreement to be scrapped. The lawmakers expressed specific concerns regarding joint projects related to “instrumented balloons” and agricultural technologies with potential military applications.
Highlighting China’s use of various tactics to gain an advantage in critical technologies, the lawmakers emphasized the need for the United States to protect its own interests. They argued that allowing the Science and Technology Agreement to expire would be a significant step towards achieving this goal.
While China has expressed its desire to extend the agreement, the U.S. government has been conducting a review of the agreement’s terms. Proponents of renewing the agreement argue that it provides valuable insights into China’s technological advancements. However, many analysts suggest that fundamental revisions are necessary to safeguard U.S. innovation in the face of increased strategic competition with China.
