China’s technological advances put the US Congress on guard

The promotion of the People’s Republic of China with the use of artificial intelligence, its advances in military technology and the control plan in semiconductor production are key to understanding the edges of its advance and the challenges it poses for the United States and other countries. allies, according to details of a hearing held this Thursday in Congress, in Washington.

The Select Committee in charge of reviewing the ‘Competitive Strategy between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party’ He called officials from President Joe Biden’s Administration on Thursday to explain the US government’s “bet” on China.

Agencies such as the Department of State, the Department of Defense and the Department of Commerce explained that the outpost of the Asian power is shaping up towards cutting-edge technologies that pose “challenges” to the strategic interests of the United States.

The committee chairman, Republican Mike Gallagher, said that “clearly the Biden Administration must take action against China” and highlighted the silence on issues such as human rights violations and the repression faced by sectors of the Chinese population.

Daniel Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary of State for Asia, assured that US diplomacy maintains an open attitude to dialogue, while reaching agreements with its allies in the Asian region and other parts of the world to address China’s plans. .

“Beijing is an economic, diplomatic, military and technological pressure” in different ways for the US and for the world, pointed out the foreign official who also qualified that the Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent visit to China It is focused on “bringing closer positions” with the Asian country.

For his part, Ely Ratner, assistant to the Secretary of Defense for security relations in the Indo-Pacific, pointed out that “the challenges are serious” in terms of the implementation and use of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies used by the Asian country.

However, he qualified that the cooperation agreements with US allies such as Japan, Australia and the Philippines are “significant to face these” challenges “and that the Biden Administration has focused on updating and innovating military technologies for the first power of the world.

Thea Rozman Kendler, assistant for Exports of the Department of Commerce, who also responded to the questions from the congressmen, assured that for the moment the United States agencies are working in a coordinated manner to face the advance of China.

However, he highlighted the “concern” about the merger attempts carried out by Chinese companies with military applications and the control of “extremely effective” technologies with artificial intelligence and use of applications for home use.

Democratic minority leader on the congressional special committee, Raja Krishnamoorthi, said that it is clear from public opinion studies such as those conducted by the Pew Center that the public in the United States has misgivings about the expansionist plans of China, but at the same time, they do not see the need to open a conflict with the Asian country, yes, they do not give up competing to “protect our interests.”

The legislator said that “provocations” by China should be closely followed, as is the case in the Strait of the island of Taiwan, whose Asian power considered part of its territory.

Letters to venture capital firms

This Wednesday the congressmen who head the Committee for US relations with the Communist Party of China they sent letters to four US companies of risk capitals that maintain strong investments in the Asian country and that are enrolled in the development of new technologies.

Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher and fellow Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi agreed that the companies; GGV Capital, GSR Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures and Walden International, navigate lines that generate “concern” for the US, for which they demanded from them “information on the investments of the companies in projects of artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and quantum computers in the People’s Republic of China”.

The letters sent by the legislators to the companies warn that “China’s policy of military-civilian fusion that eliminates the barriers between the commercial and civilian research sector and its military and defense sector”, omits separations so that the US entities would be investing in Chinese defense.

“These venture capitalists have invested millions in AI and semiconductor companies based in the PRC. We need to take a hard look at investments in sectors that are a strategic priority for China, because we know it leverages private companies for military and security purposes. surveillance,” said Republican lawmaker Mike Gallagher.

Especially since US companies could be implicated in helping the “modernization” of the Chinese military and expanding its “techno-totalitarian surveillance” state and perpetuating “serious abuses” of human rights.

For his part, Congressman Krishnamoorthi pointed out that American companies could be supporting technological development “that could be undermining our national security and American values.”

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and instagram.