U.S. Taxpayer-Funded Patents Fuel Chinese Innovation

U.S. government agencies, including the Defense Department and NASA, funded research that resulted in over 1,000 U.S. patents for China-based inventors since 2010. This has led to calls for renegotiating the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement, amid concerns over national security and intellectual property theft.

In a data revelation reviewed by Reuters, U.S. government agencies like the Defense Department and NASA have funded research leading to over 1,000 U.S. patents for inventors based in China since 2010. The patents, some in sensitive fields such as biotechnology, have sparked debates over national security and intellectual property.

The data has intensified calls to either cancel or renegotiate the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement. Critics argue that the 1979 pact disproportionately benefits China, Washington's primary geopolitical rival. This month, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office provided the data to the House of Representatives' select committee on China.

Republican Representative John Moolenaar noted that U.S. taxpayers have unwittingly funded these patents. NASA, among other agencies, faces strict legal prohibitions against cooperating with China or its companies. As the pact's potential extension looms, discussions continue on its impact on academic and commercial collaboration.

(With inputs from agencies.)