
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">House lawmakers of the Science, Space, &; Technology Committee this week approved a bill designed to increase America’s competitiveness with China. A similar bill cleared the Senate last week with support from both parties. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">While both proposals call for increased funding to the National Science Foundation and its research into artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and other emerging technologies pertinent to the US-China competition, the House bill tacks on progressive causes including climate change and income inequality. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Senate proposal includes $52 billion in additional funding for current research and $29 billion for new projects; the House proposal calls for $65 billion and $13 billion, respectively. Both proposals include additional funding for the Energy Department. They hope to incentivize semiconductor manufacturers to return to the United States.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">House lawmakers also hope to expand the reach of scientific breakthroughs. They also want to bring emerging research to rural areas of the country. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“We can’t just have scientists writing to scientists in scientific journals,” argues Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). “There has to be a link to investment in technology that’s going to create jobs or make America more competitive.”</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-these-china-bills-are-a-great-start-to-mitigate-the-role-chinese-companies-play-in-us-supply-chains-and-ensure-the-us-remains-competitive-on-the-world-technology-stage-but-they-fail-to-address-china-s-theft-of-intellectual-property"><strong>These China bills are a great start to mitigate the role Chinese companies play in US supply chains and ensure the US remains competitive on the world technology stage</strong>. B<strong>ut they fail to address China’s theft of intellectual property.</strong></h5>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“China has unabashed plans for a solo climb to the top rung of the global power ladder by 2049,” writes<em> Farm Journal </em>contributor Chris Bennett. “In order to fuel its ascendance, the CCP is engaged in widespread theft, cyber-hacking, and espionage with the US as the honey hole of illicit gain.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Over the past 10 years, China has stolen trillions of dollars’ worth of intellectual property from the United States. In the agriculture sector alone, such theft represents <strong>up to $600 billion each year. ;</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“For so long, US counterintelligence has been focused on Russia, yet China presents a threat many orders of magnitude greater,” continues Bennett. “China is intent on cataloging seed and DNA on a vast scale, and they’ve spent at least 10 years vacuuming up every piece of tech from every sector in the US.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">With little farmland and a massive population, the CCP’s focus on agriculture tech makes sense. Earlier this year, their agriculture minister announced plans to transform 16.5 million acres into farmland by the end of 2021. In addition to agriculture, China has plans to achieve dominance in the following sectors by the year 2025: AI, telecommunications, information technology, biomedicine, electric vehicles, aerospace engineering, advanced electronics, maritime engineering, and high-speed rail. </p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-but-in-the-meantime-china-continues-to-infiltrate-american-colleges-universities-and-research-institutions-to-obtain-more-knowledge-and-spread-communist-propaganda">But in the meantime, China continues to infiltrate American colleges, universities, and research institutions to obtain more knowledge and spread communist propaganda. </h5>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In addition to partnerships such as the Confucius Institute, many Chinese students attending school in the US are most likely working directly for China’s intelligence agency. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“That is the price to be here,” writes Bennett. “Part of their presence here, granted with CCP permission, is a promise, often a quid pro quo, to assist the CCP in getting whatever is needed.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Author&#8217;s Note:</strong> Any bill to improve US competitiveness must include a framework for stopping China&#8217;s theft of information. At this point, any technology we develop goes straight into the CCP&#8217;s hands as well as ours. Former President Donald Trump made a good start on this, but unfortunately President Joe Biden has not followed suit.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Sources:</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/house-panel-to-tackle-china-scientific-competitiveness-bill-11623762463?mod=politics_lead_pos4">House Panel Approves China Scientific Competitiveness Bill ;</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2021/06/15/President-Biden-s-tougher-stance-on-China-will-make-the-U-S-more-competitive/stories/202106100059">President Biden’s tougher stance on China will make the US more competitive ;</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.agweb.com/news/business/technology/while-america-slept-china-stole-farm">While America Slept, China Stole the Farm ;</a></p>

Democrats’ China Bill Fails to Address IP Theft
