Members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee sounded the alarm about how the Chinese Communist Party is using U.S. courts to breach national security during a bipartisan hearing Tuesday.
The panel called for greater transparency among Chinese businesses’ dealings in the U.S. and cautioned how lacking oversight has resulted in the CCP “using our system against us.”
Top Republicans and Democrats on the committee expressed concern over how Chinese actors exploit U.S. courts, the patent system and the economy to get ahead in technology development and soft power across the globe. Committee members underscored how malicious acts by the CCP leave Americans vulnerable to national security concerns.
“Legislation and rule changes by the administration need to happen and happen now,” Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said.
Issa highlighted the importance of protecting good Chinese actors but emphasized the rise in cyberattacks and abuses by Chinese companies. Issa said that current American law makes it easy for China to take advantage of Americans and urged for reforms to be made.
“We will not be abused any longer,” Issa said.
Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Hank Johnson, R-Ga., signaled a shared concern across the aisle for CCP’s unethical involvement in U.S. markets and courts through “legal warfare.”
“We absolutely agree that China is seeking to gain ground in our strategic competition by encouraging Chinese businesses to harm American companies,” Johnson said.
Johnson argued how China’s push to efficiently develop new technology to overtake the U.S. in the “AI arms race” has led them to improperly cut corners.
“There is nothing wrong with competition,” Johnson said. “There is a problem with breaking the rules to get ahead, and that is what China has sought to do.”
