WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) introduced the Defending Defense Research from CCP Espionage Act. The bill addresses loopholes that allow the CCP to access sensitive U.S. defense research through partnerships between U.S. universities and Chinese institutions.
“For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has worked to steal American research and intellectual property to use against us. The Biden administration reversed key Trump-era policies that protected our universities and did little to stop secret research agreements that allowed DoD-funded researchers to sell their expertise to Chinese institutions. My bill will strengthen protections and close security gaps to safeguard critical U.S. defense research.”
Key Provisions:
- Prohibits DOD funding for universities with contracts to foreign entities of concern, unless they receive a waiver.
- Establishes a waiver process requiring full disclosure of agreements, with all waiver details published publicly.
- Bans project leads on DOD-funded research from working for foreign entities of concern for 10 years after the project ends.
Full bill text here.
The Defending Defense Research from CCP Espionage Act is supported by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Background:
A report from the House Select Committee on China revealed that the CCP gains technology through U.S.-China university partnerships, giving China access to DOD-funded research. These deals often contain secret clauses, and China entices DOD-funded researchers to work for Chinese institutions with lucrative offers, which the DOD struggles to prevent.
The Biden administration ended the Trump-era China Initiative and renewed science- and technology-sharing agreements with China over congressional objections.
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