(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) It was revealed that U.S. government agencies have funded research for more than a decade, which resulted in the creation of 1,020 U.S. patents for China-based entities.
The Daily Caller reported that the American government granted patents in semiconductors, chemical engineering, nanotechnology and biotechnology. The parents were all funded, at least in part, by the U.S. and one China-based investor.
The revelations come alongside debates over whether the American government should withdraw from the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement, a bilateral research deal criticized for benefiting China too much.
“It’s alarming that U.S. taxpayers have unwittingly funded over 1,000 patents claimed by Chinese entities, with the Department of Defense accounting for nearly 100 of these patents,” Rep. John Moolenar, R-Mich., chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said.
Patent data revealed that 197 patents were listed in the pharmaceutical sector and 154 in biotechnologies, which are both highly strategic fields for the U.S. and China.
The news source reported whether American entities or other individuals shared the patents was unclear.
The funding was provided by agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, and four agencies received financial backing from NASA, which cannot directly cooperate with Chinese entities under U.S. law. The Department of Health and Human Services also provided more funding than any other agency to help create 356 patents.
The news source stated that it wasn’t clear what specific projects were protected under the patents, adding that there wasn’t an indication that the patents were funded by the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement, which is the framework deal penned in 1979 to conduct research between the two countries jointly.
The U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement was criticized for allowing China to collaborate and glean from research that could help upgrade its military capabilities. Even though the deal expired in August, it has been given multiple extensions, with the latest extension ending on Aug. 27, 2024.
