The United States is seeking an extension of only six months to a science and technology agreement (STA) with China amid intellectual theft concerns.
The landmark agreement was first signed in 1979 and set a framework for the United States and China to cooperate on scientific research and technology development. The pact, which has been renewed every five years, was set to expire on Aug. 27.
“This short-term six-month extension will keep the agreement in force while we seek authority to undertake negotiations to amend and strengthen the terms of the STA. It does not commit the United States to a longer-term extension,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters.
The department said the deal provides consistent standards for government scientific cooperation.
The renewal of the STA is under intense scrutiny as U.S. lawmakers pointed out that it risks fostering intellectual property theft backed by Beijing.
“We are clear-eyed to the challenges posed by [China’s] national strategies on science and technology, Beijing’s actions in this space, and the threat they pose to U.S. national security and intellectual property, and are dedicated to protecting the interests of the American people,” the spokesperson said.
The House Select Committee on China has urged the U.S. government not to renew the STA, as research under the agreement could strengthen China’s military-industrial development.
Republican lawmakers Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), and Rob Wittman (R-Va.) introduced legislation on Aug. 23 that would require congressional notification for science and tech agreements. The proposed provision encompasses thorough risk assessments, human rights considerations, and consistent monitoring mechanisms.
Former U.S. chief technology officer Michael Kratsios, who worked on the most recent renewal of the STA, stated on Aug. 22 that allowing the STA to expire would “help refocus our cutting-edge R&D investments into venues where they are far less vulnerable to being used against the U.S. national interest.”
Regarding the proposed short-term extension of the STA, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in an emailed statement: “[Beijing’s] views and positions on China–U.S. science and technology relations are consistent. S&T is an open business.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Commerce has lifted restrictions on 27 Chinese companies, removing them from the “unverified list” that bans the purchase of U.S. products and technology without a license. It’s been viewed as an olive branch to China ahead of U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo’s visit to Beijing this week as part of the Biden administration’s effort to reduce tensions between the two countries.
