Comer and Timmons Investigate National Security Risks in Science and Technology Research Sharing with China

WASHINGTON-House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs Chairman William Timmons (R-S.C.) are investigating significant gaps in the federal government's ability to monitor and track Science and Technology Agreements (STAs) between federal agencies and foreign governments, especially the People's Republic of China (PRC). STAs are important for diplomatic cooperation and scientific exchange but are often subject to abuse by foreign adversarial nations and can create risks for U.S. national security. In a letter to Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre, Chairman Comer and Subcommittee Chairman Timmons request that the Department of State provide written answers to questions on the extent to which the Bureau for East Asian and Pacific Affairs is tracking STAs with China and any sub-agreements made between China and other federal agencies.

"Under an STA, federal agencies can enter sub-agreements with foreign governments which allow for the sharing of research and technology information. Although an STA is created and maintained by the Department of State, the sub-agreements are coordinated and conducted at the discretion of the entering agency. There are no requirements for federal agencies to inform the Department of their entrance into such an agreement with a foreign country or disclose the terms of such agreements nor is there a centralized system in the U.S. government which tracks these sub-agreements," wrote the lawmakers.

Due to the lack of information sharing and ability to monitor STAs, the United States is unable to effectively track China's intentional exploitation of cooperative agreements and the national security risks this poses. China has frequently abused STAs between cooperating nations to violate intellectual property rights and patent agreements. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office identified more than 400 Chinese patents in 2017 stemming from projects originating from STAs that China had commercialized for its own economic gain, while the U.S. had no comparable benefits from these agreements. More efficient tracking of STAs between federal agencies would prevent further abuse and exploitation against the United States by China.

"The PRC has been cited as an unreliable and untrustworthy partner, greatly prioritizing its own benefit from cooperation while actively restricting its partners from receiving similar benefits. For example, the PRC reportedly has withheld influenza strains required for U.S. flu vaccines. In 2019, the PRC cut off access to U.S.-funded coronavirus work at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Additionally, the PRC has historically weaponized science and technology cooperation to steal the Intellectual Property (IP) and trade secrets from its 'partner' countries and companies.^. The PRC frequently uses cooperation agreements to gain access to and subsequently steal science and technology capabilities to supplement their own," concluded the lawmakers.

Read the letter to Assistant Secretary of State DeSombre here.