US Senators slam ‘immoral’ and ‘coercive’ Beijing after meeting with industrial experts over Chinese IP laws
Advisors at the congressional hearing warned of China’s rising supremacy in the ‘historic’ innovations of AI, 5G and quantum computing
China was slammed as “immoral” and “coercive” by US lawmakers on Wednesday as the nation’s industrial experts testified in a Senate hearing meant to shed light on issues central to a looming trade war US President Donald Trump and Beijing.
“I came away with the opinion that they’ll do anything legal or illegal, anything moral or immoral, anything ethical or unethical to get ahead and to stay ahead,” Senator Chuck Grassley (Republican, Iowa) said of a recent trip he took to China as part of a congressional delegation.
Senator John Cornyn (Republican, Texas), who chaired the hearing, said: “In many instances, China has simply used trade as a weapon, coercing US companies to enter into joint ventures and other business agreements that require the company to hand over key technology and know-how, the so-called ‘secret sauce’, simply in order to gain market access.
“This practice has already begun to erode America’s technological advantage and undermine our defence industrial base.”
Witnesses appearing before the Senate finance committee included Dean Garfield, president of the Washington-based trade association Information Technology Industry Council, who said: “We are experiencing now innovations like AI, 5G and quantum computing that are some of the most historic in human history.