East Michigan News

Chairman John Moolenaar, along with other lawmakers, has expressed strong opposition to the Biden Administration's decision to extend the U.S.-People’s Republic of China (PRC) Science and Technology Agreement (STA) for five years. In a letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Moolenaar and his colleagues criticized the move as an attempt to limit the options available to the incoming administration.

The letter states: "A renewal of the STA in the final days of the administration is a clear attempt to tie the hands of the incoming administration and deny them the opportunity to either leave the agreement or negotiate a better deal for the American people... We urge you to immediately suspend efforts to renew the U.S.-PRC STA prior to January 20, 2025. If the Biden Administration is confident their new agreement with the PRC will adequately protect U.S. national security, then they should have no problem making the case for renewal to the incoming administration."

The criticism follows repeated congressional requests for either suspending or imposing additional safeguards on the STA, aimed at protecting human rights and U.S. intellectual property. Despite these calls, it appears that no such measures have been adopted by President Biden's team.

Earlier this year, Representative Andy Barr introduced a bill titled “Science and Technology Agreement Enhanced Congressional Notification Act,” which passed overwhelmingly in the House. The proposed legislation would require advance notification of any STA renewal and include specific protections for human rights and limitations on dual-use research. However, this bill has not yet become law.

The decision by President Biden's administration has been described as ignoring Congress's clearly stated guidelines.

###