Senator Jim Banks (R., Ind.) introduced new legislation Wednesday aimed at protecting American defense research from Chinese Communist Party efforts to steal vital technology.
The Defending Defense Research from CCP Espionage Act will close the loopholes Banks says are currently being exploited by China to acquire critical national security technologies.
In the act, Banks claims these loopholes include deals with universities and high-paying job offers to researchers that allow CCP access to sensitive information.
“For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has been stealing American research and intellectual property to use against us,” Banks said. “The Biden administration rolled back key Trump-era policies designed to protect our universities, failing to prevent secret research agreements that permitted Department of Defense-funded researchers to sell their expertise to Chinese institutions.”