Bipartisan Letter From Senators Asks Administration Not to Loosen Export Controls
A bipartisan group of senators, led by the No. 2 man in Republican leadership, asked the treasury secretary, commerce secretary and U.S. trade representative not to loosen export controls for China as they consider how to narrow the bilateral trade…
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deficit. The letter, sent May 22, said loosening export controls on sensitive technology "would bolster China’s aggressive military modernization and significantly undermine long-term U.S. national security interests." Including Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., 14 Republicans, 12 Democrats and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine signed the letter. The missive also brings up the possible softening of sanctions on Chinese telecom giant ZTE: "In addition, we urge you not to compromise lawful U.S. enforcement actions against serial and pre-meditated violators of U.S. law, such as ZTE. Export control and sanctions laws should not be negotiable, because fidelity to the rule of law is a key part of what distinguishes the U.S. from a country like China that is ruled by a Communist dictatorship."