Apple and IBM among US tech giants to blame Chinese regulations for breaching intellectual property rights
Hearing in Washington told that rules requiring them to transfer technology to Chinese businesses place ‘unreasonable and discriminatory’ burden on US firms
US industry groups representing Apple, IBM and other tech giants have blamed China’s rules on inbound investment for infringing the intellectual property rights of US companies.
Repeating a complaint likely to top the agenda during US President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to Beijing, the advocacy groups spoke in a public hearing convened to gather input for an ongoing trade investigation.
Erin Ennis, senior vice-president of the US-China Business Council, told the hearing in Washington that rules that required them to transfer technology to Chinese enterprises “as a condition to gain market access” might place “unreasonable and discriminatory burdens” on American commercial interests.
The event was the first hearing in support of US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s inquiry into alleged Chinese intellectual property theft under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974.
Trump, who is expected to visit his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping next month, ordered Lighthizer to start the investigation in mid-August.