Lawmakers press China over trade secrets

Washington is ratcheting up pressure on China over the country’s alleged theft of trade secrets, even as the dispute quickly escalates.

Lawmakers in recent weeks have introduced several bipartisan bills aimed at Chinese telecom firms believed to have government ties, and federal prosecutors are reportedly preparing an indictment against one Chinese company over stealing trade secrets from American businesses.

The stakes for both countries and for U.S. allies are growing. After Canadian officials arrested a Chinese executive last year at the request of American authorities, China retaliated by detaining several Canadian citizens and sentencing one to the death penalty.

But lawmakers insist the U.S. needs to follow through and hold China accountable for alleged intellectual property theft. And they want the administration to do more to address the national security threat from Chinese companies.