China must not be granted “access to U.S.-made military technologies and advanced dual-use technologies” in exchange for better trade relations, more than two dozen senators warned President Trump’s economic team.
“We strongly support these critical negotiations to rebalance the U.S.-China economic relationship, but U.S. national security must remain the paramount consideration,” Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio wrote in a letter signed by 25 other lawmakers. “Therefore, we strongly urge you to reject any proposal by China to loosen existing restrictions on the export or other transfer of these sensitive U.S. technologies.”
“Any such move would bolster China’s aggressive military modernization and significantly undermine long-term U.S. national security interests,” the lawmakers continued.
The letter, which was also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reflects broad congressional concern that Trump’s administration will make strategic mistakes in its trade discussions with China given Trump’s economic officials are reportedly divided about how to approach the high-stakes talks.
Trump’s team is split between free-trade advocates and protectionists. The free-traders, led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, reportedly have considered making it easier for Chinese companies to purchase “militarily sensitive products,” according to the New York Times.
Congressional worries were exacerbated after Trump signaled he would reverse a ban imposed on Chinese tech company ZTE, which prohibited it from purchasing American software in response to a personal request from Chinese President Xi Jinping. ZTE was originally punished for defying U.S. sanctions on Iran, and American lawmakers believe it collaborates with Chinese intelligence officers.
“[ZTE] buys a large portion of its parts that make up these phones — that are sold all over the world — from American companies, so when you [sanction them] you’re really hurting American companies also,” Trump said at the White House Tuesday. “But, as a favor to [Xi], I am absolutely taking a look at it.”
Rubio and others are free traders, but they want the ban on ZTE to remain in place precisely because they’re buying American technology, which the senators regard as a national security threat due to the company’s links to Chinese intelligence and history of helping rogue regimes defy U.S. sanctions.
“[W]e urge you not to compromise lawful U.S. enforcement actions against serial and pre-meditated violators of U.S. law, such as ZTE,” the senators wrote. “This is particularly critical when the violators are state-owned and -influenced, part and parcel of China’s policies and practices designed to strengthen its own national security innovation base, and essential tools of efforts to spread China’s influence in other countries that pose national security threats to the United States.”
“Export control and sanctions laws should not be negotiable, because fidelity to the rule of law is a key part of what distinguishes the U.S. from a country like China that is ruled by a Communist dictatorship,” they added.
