Bipartisan Letter From Senators Asks Administration Not to Loosen Export Controls
A bipartisan group of senators, led by the No. 2 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 deficit.…
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The letter, sent Tuesday, said loosening export controls on sensitive technology "would bolster China’s aggressive military modernization and significantly undermine long-term U.S. national security interests." In addition to Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Sen. John Thune, R-N.D., and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 13 Republicans, 13 Democrats and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine signed the letter. The missive brings up possible softening of sanctions on ZTE: "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." On Capitol Hill, anti-ZTE efforts moved forward (see 1805230058).