China opposes US spending bill curbing technological purchases
Print Edition
China has condemned a US$1.1-trillion spending bill passed by the US Congress last week over clauses that limit technological purchases from the Asian giant, saying they clash with the principles of fair trade.
The bill, signed by President Barack Obama on Friday, included a cyber-espionage review process for federal buying of Chinese technology.
In a weekend statement, the Commerce Ministry said the move “went against the principles of fair trade” as it sought to curb purchases of Chinese technology and export of satellites and parts to China.
“China is resolutely opposed,” the ministry said.
The bill sent a wrong message, did not aid exchanges and cooperation in the high-tech field and would have a negative effect on Chinese companies, besides harming the interests of US firms, it added.
“We have noted that US business groups have already made noises opposing the bill. The US side should correct its mistaken ways, and create good conditions for the healthy development of Sino-US trade and business cooperation.”
Last year’s funding legislation bars US space agency NASA and the Justice and Commerce Departments from buying information technology systems without the approval of federal law enforcement officials.
That formal assessment must include “any risk associated with such system being produced, manufactured or assembled by one or more entities that are owned, directed or subsidized” by China, it says.
US Representative Frank Wolf, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee, said he directed the language to be included last year because of concerns about potential “cyber threats” from Chinese firms such as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and ZTE Corp.
“A slightly modified version of this language was continued again this year by bipartisan agreement with the Senate, and I believe it should be maintained and expanded to all civilian federal agencies in the year ahead,” Wolf said in a statement on Friday.
US curbs on foreign access to satellite technology since 1999 have effectively banned the export, re-export or transfer of this equipment or know-how to China.
The curb followed a 1996 Chinese rocket launch accident that claimed a US-made satellite. In the course of the investigation, the company was accused of inadvertently transferring restricted technology to China.
“Since the late 1990s, there has been, under US law, an absolute prohibition on the export and re-export to China of all satellites and related items,” Kevin Wolf, a Commerce Department official, said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
