U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) joined several colleagues in denouncing China’s leadership in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) given the country’s persistent violations of intellectual property protections, including trade secret theft, corporate espionage and forced transfer of technology.
“We write to express our concern about China’s intent to lead the World Intellectual Property Organization at the United Nations and the threat this poses to both U.S. economic security and the integrity of international IP rights and standards,” wrote Sen. Young in a March 2 letter he and his colleagues sent to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Joining Sen. Young in signing the letter were U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
Sen. Young and his fellow senators noted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is strategically investing in critical and emerging technologies as part of Made in China 2025 and other CCP-led industrial policies, including a variety of practices and tactics that coerce American companies to transfer their technology and IP to domestic Chinese corporations with the aim of undermining U.S. innovation and economic leadership.
The senators emphasized that the United States cannot allow China to ascend as the leader of global intellectual property policy due to its routine violations to a rules-based system, and because the country remains on the U.S. Trade Representative’s Priority Watch List for its failure to strengthen IP protection and enforcement and for engaging in harmful conduct, according to their letter.
“We cannot let a regime, which continues to blatantly undermine the rules-based system by failing to ensure open markets or respect for intellectual property rights, ascend as the leader of global intellectual property policy,” wrote Sen. Young and his colleagues. “We urge you and President Trump to vigorously oppose China’s leadership in the World Intellectual Property Organization and take the necessary diplomatic steps to ensure our allies and partners do the same before the upcoming Director General election.”