Wyden ‘encouraged’ by U.S. move on Chinese trade

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement Thursday in response to an investigation by the U.S. Trade Representative into Chinese theft of U.S. technology.

“China has cheated, stolen and bullied American industry on trade for decades, causing massive economic wreckage to workers, employers and communities across America in the process,” Wyden said.

“Our country must stand up against China’s trade blackmail, so I am encouraged that the administration is focused on protecting the technologies that China publicly targeted. I intend to study the USTR report closely and look forward to close consultations on remedies to ensure the administration gets real results that actually bring back American jobs.”

The investigation was conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act. Wyden in August urged U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to investigate China’s forced technology transfer policies and take action to stop China from pressuring U.S. tech manufacturers to sacrifice intellectual property as a cost of doing business in China.