Bill would create office to fight Chinese threats to US tech

A pair of senators on Friday introduced bipartisan legislation that would establish a new federal office focused on combating Chinese and other foreign threats to U.S. technology, including supply chain risks and technology theft.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), also a member of the panel, said that creating the Office of Critical Technology and Security at the White House would help coordinate efforts to protect technology across the federal government.

The office would also coordinate with the private sector, federal and state tech and telecom regulators, international partners and allies, and other relevant organizations.

“It is clear that China is determined to use every tool in its arsenal to surpass the United States technologically and dominate us economically,” Warner, a former telecommunications executive, said in a statement. “We need a whole-of-government technology strategy to protect U.S. competitiveness in emerging and dual-use technologies and address the Chinese threat by combating technology transfer from the United States.”