Marin Independent Journal

US officials warn China could dominate advanced technologi­es

- By Nomaan Merchant

WASHINGTON >> U.S. officials issued new warnings Friday about China’s ambitions in artificial intelligen­ce and a range of advanced technologi­es that could eventually give Beijing a decisive military edge and possible dominance over health care and other essential sectors in America.

The warnings include a renewed effort to inform business executives, academics and local and state government officials about the risks of accepting Chinese investment or expertise in key industries, officials at the National Counterint­elligence and Security Center said. While the center does not intend to tell officials to reject Chinese investment, it will encourage efforts to control intellectu­al property and implement security measures.

National security agencies under President Joe Biden’s administra­tion are making an aggressive public push against China, which some officials have called the greatest strategic threat to the United States. The Biden administra­tion has simultaneo­usly tried to ease some tensions with Beijing dating to the Trump administra­tion and seek common ground on trade and climate change.

Beijing has repeatedly accused Washington of fear-mongering about its intentions and attacked U.S. intelligen­ce for its assessment­s of China, including allegation­s that Chinese leaders have withheld critical informatio­n about the coronaviru­s pandemic.

Under President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government has stated its goals to create profitable technologi­es in robotics and other fields in plans known as “Made in China 2025.” The Justice Department in recent years has returned several indictment­s alleging theft of sensitive U.S. informatio­n on behalf of China, including vaccine research and autonomous vehicle technology.

The counterint­elligence center’s acting director, Michael Orlando, told reporters in a rare briefing Thursday that the

U.S. “can’t afford to lose” ground to China in several key areas: artificial intelligen­ce, autonomous systems, quantum computing, semiconduc­tors and biotechnol­ogy.

Orlando noted that Chinese businesses and academics are beholden to the Chinese Communist Party and are required to serve the party’s interests.

“Although we’ve been saying this for year after year, people are not digesting this,” he said.

Orlando declined to say whether the U.S. should enact tougher restrictio­ns or outright bans on Chinese investment in certain sectors, saying his role was not to suggest policy.

But the counterint­elligence center holds regular briefings with private industry and academia while recognizin­g that industries and universiti­es may still want to seek students, experts and investors from China, Orlando said. He would not name companies with which the center has met.

The center’s officer for emerging and disruptive technologi­es, Edward You, noted the investment of Chinese companies in U.S. and European biotechnol­ogy and pharmaceut­ics.

WuXi Biologics has since 2019 built a vaccine manufactur­ing facility in Ireland, announced plans for a production facility in Massachuse­tts and acquired a Bayer plant in Germany. Officials did not disclose any informatio­n linking those acquisitio­ns to Beijing’s influence but said they were part of a broader pattern by Chinese medical companies.

Chinese companies have also offered COVID-19 testing kits and genetic testing in the U.S., meeting federal privacy standards and other regulation­s, You said. But the data collected by companies with ties to China could ultimately end up in the hands of Beijing, You said.

China already has the greatest access to medical data of any country, You said. With its data collection and its advancemen­ts in technology, Beijing could one day be dominant in health care and leave the U.S. wholly dependent on China, he said.

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