China Tech Threat

NJ, ME, TN Continue to Dodge FOIA Requests

Posted on by China Tech Threat
In 2019, China Tech Threat released a report on the failure of states to scrutinize the purchase of products and services from risky Chinese information technology vendors Lenovo and Lexmark which have been banned from U.S. military and intelligence networks for their connections with the Chinese government and military.  The alarming fact is, despite being banned at the federal level, many states unwittingly still have purchase contracts with these dangerous companies. At the state level, these types of attacks have been used to access sensitive personal and financial information held by various government agencies. To assess the threat level in the states and raise awareness, China Tech Threat conducted an extensive research project based on Freedom Of Information (FOIA) requests… Read More

5 Key Takeaways from President Biden’s Export Administrator Nominee

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This week the Senate Banking Committee advanced Thea Kendler, President Biden’s nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, for a full Senate confirmation vote later this fall. If confirmed, Ms. Kendler will help shape export control policy, a frontline defense against the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) weaponization of U.S. technologies. Here are five key takeaways from Ms. Kendler’s responses to lawmakers’ Questions for the Record. The PRC’s technological, military and economic rise poses “one of the greatest” threats to U.S. national security.Asked if she agreed, Ms. Kendler wrote, “Yes.” The PRC’s “diversion of dual-use technologies to military uses; theft of intellectual property; human rights abuses; and anti-competitive, unfair and coercive trade practices… threaten our national… Read More

BIS Nominee “Deeply Concerned” about China’s Military-Civil Fusion Threat

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By a voice vote on Tuesday, the Senate Banking Committee endorsed Alan Estevez and Thea Kendler to serve as Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security (BIS) and as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, respectively. The vote advances President Biden’s nominees—who, if confirmed, will play pivotal roles in shaping U.S. export control policy—for consideration by the full Senate this fall. In response to prepared Questions for the Record, Mr. Estevez stated that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) poses “one of our most difficult challenges related to U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives, including our ability to maintain U.S. technological leadership in critical areas.” “I am deeply concerned about the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) efforts… Read More

Upcoming Event: Unacceptable Risk: Expanding the FCC’s Covered List to Reflect Reality

Posted on by China Tech Threat
Spoiler alert: it is not a list any company would want to be on… Join us for an upcoming event on Tuesday October 19, 2021 at 11:30 AM ET. Roslyn Layton will be joined by FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and other prominent national security experts for a discussion about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s plan expand their “Covered List” of communications equipment and services that pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons. The 2019 Secure and Trusted Networks Act directs only a handful of companies to be on the list. However, given what we know about entities affiliated with the People’s Republic of China, others could… Read More

Semiconductors: Experts Weigh How US-EU Can Beat China

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China Tech Threat co-founder Dr. Roslyn Layton joined Horizon Advisory’s Emily de La Bruyère and the National Security Institute’s David Hanke for a discussion on How the U.S. and E.U. Can Win Against China hosted by the Octavian Report and moderated by its Editorial Director Sam Munson. The panel discussed a trans-Atlantic strategy to address China’s malicious practices, growing militarization, and capturing of global connectivity. Layton highlighted the need for the US to uphold the same standards it demands of the European Union (EU), citing the case in which the US requested Dutch semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME)provider ASML not to supply sensitive chipmaking tools to the Chinese military fab SMIC, which the US subsequently put on the Entity List, which… Read More

Hudson Institute’s Arthur Herman on Decoupling from China

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Last week China Tech Threat founder Roslyn Layton sat down with Hudson Institute’s Arthur Herman. They discussed his recently launched Hamilton Commission, the #FutureofBIS and the importance of the U.S decoupling from China and ensuring that companies such as YMTC cannot enter the U.S market. See full discussion below:… Read More

Federal Government Cracks Down on Cybersecurity as States Remain at Risk

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As the U.S House continues to work through markups of the suggested $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, funding for key issues takes shape. The House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee pushed their respective technology and cybersecurity sections of the package during separate markups. Most notably, the House Homeland Security Committee advanced amended legislation to provide an additional $865 million to expand CISA’s cyber capabilities over the next 10 years after an uptick in cyber and ransomware attacks. The measure includes $400 million to help CISA implement the Biden administration’s cybersecurity executive order from May and $100 million to educate and train a larger cybersecurity workforce. The time and resources that are being spent throughout the infrastructure… Read More

China Tech Threat & Blue Path Labs File FCC Comment on Chinese Tech Loophole

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Today, China Tech Threat filed comments with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on proposed rules that would prohibit all future authorizations for communications equipment deemed to pose an “unacceptable risk to national security.” In June, the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry seeking comment on a proposal to prohibit future approvals of communications equipment that pose unacceptable risk to U.S. national security and whether approvals should be revoked from products and services from the FCC’s Covered List  pursuant to the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019.  China Tech Threat’s comments, filed jointly with BluePath Labs, advises the agency on how to ensure the Covered List of vulnerable equipment vendors is current and… Read More

Part II: More Experts Weigh in on Estevez for Top BIS Position

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Alan Estevez will appear before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday as the nominee to lead the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) during the Biden administration. What are people saying about his nomination and what that means for the future of BIS? Last week, China Tech Threat published assessments from two risk management experts. Today, we are sharing additional commentary. Coalition for a Prosperous America’s (CPA) Jeff Ferry, who co-authored a paper with China Tech Threat earlier this year on “Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Semiconductors and Countering China’s Threats,” observed of Estevez: The Pentagon has been more aggressive in advocating for U.S. economic strength than any other government department, and Estevez’s 36 years at the Pentagon is good preparation… Read More

Part II: USCC Hearing on Export Controls – Kevin Wolf’s Insight

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Late last week China Tech Threat published a blog outlining the testimony given by Jeremy Pelter, Acting Undersecretary and Deputy Undersecretary, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at a U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) hearing entitled “U.S.-China Relations in 2021: Emerging Risks.” While Mr. Pelter gave insight into BIS’ actions from a current leadership position, Kevin Wolf, former BIS official and noted export control lawyer presented another view. Mr. Wolf, a veteran of the bureau, developed the sanctions on ZTE. He is currently an attorney at Akin Gump where he advises clients on regulations related to export administration, arms control, trade, foreign investment, and foreign asset control. In his testimony to USCC, Mr. Wolf offered suggestions on how… Read More