Bill to put US-China science pact under new scrutiny passes a House committee

The House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously approves legislation to add oversight for the periodic renewal of the landmark Science and Technology Agreement

If enacted, the bill would require a 30-day period for Congress to assess national security risks and human rights considerations before the pact is renewed

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A US House committee approved a bill on Thursday that would add new oversight to any renewal of the landmark Science and Technology Agreement between the US and China. Image: Shutterstock

Igor Patrickin WashingtonandBochen Hanin Washington

Published: 6:28am, 22 Mar 2024Updated: 6:35am, 22 Mar 2024

In a unanimous vote on Thursday, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a bill to impose greater congressional scrutiny on future efforts by the State Department to enter, renew or extend any science and technology agreement with China.

The bill could pose a significant hurdle to the periodic renewal of the Science and Technology Agreement (STA), which was originally signed in 1979 by US President Jimmy Carter and Chinese Premier Deng Xiaoping as the first bilateral deal between the two nations.

Introduced by Representative Andy Barr, Republican of Kentucky, the bill mandates that the secretary of state provide to Congress detailed information about and such agreements, including their benefits and risks, before pursuing them. If passed, the administration would also need to wait at least 30 days post-submission before proceeding with agreements, during which Congress would assess national security risks and human rights considerations.

The committee approved the bill 50-0; a specific date for a vote on the House floor has not been set, nor one for the Senate.

Chinese Premier Deng Xiaoping and US President Jimmy Carter at a news conference on January 31, 1979 in Washington after signing the agreement on cooperation in science and technology. Photo: VCG/Getty Images

Renewed every five years, the STA received a six-month extension instead of a full renewal last August. It was extended again in February but only for another six months. That extension was not announced by the White House and administration officials have not commented on the matter.