The leaders of the House Select Committee on China asked DOJ last week to investigate the Drone Advocacy Alliance for illegally lobbying on behalf of, and promoting the “interests of,” sanctioned Chinese drone company DJI, which also is on the Commerce Department’s Entity List. Reps. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said the alliance is “funded and maintained” by DJI, and may be violating filing requirements under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Exports to China
The U.S. government should combine its various export control and sanctions lists into two distinct lists, which could allow the government to better implement trade restrictions and improve industry compliance, a congressional commission heard this week. The commission also discussed whether U.S. export control agencies should have to release more information about their licensing decisions, with one witness saying more transparency would increase business certainty, while another said it would discourage candor between the government and exporters.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission should push Congress to devote more funding to the Bureau of Industry and Security, Commissioner Michael Kuiken said during a commission hearing last week.
The U.S. government should explore the possibility of prohibiting inbound Chinese foreign direct investment in a few sensitive high-sectors to ease the workload burden on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., a congressionally mandated commission heard last week.
China’s commerce ministry this week declined to confirm reports that it’s considering new import tariffs on European and American vehicles (see 2405220042) and instead continued to criticize U.S. and EU measures against Chinese electric cars.
A December executive order that gave the U.S. broader authority to sanction financial institutions involved in shipping goods to Russia has had a “meaningful impact” on Russia’s military industrial supply chains so far, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said this week.
The U.S. government should re-examine its export controls for aviation and shipbuilding to slow China’s advances in those dual-use sectors, a congressionally mandated commission heard May 23. The government also should consider more restrictions on Huawei and improve its efforts to get allies on board with U.S. export controls, the panel was told.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee on May 22 approved bills that could expand controls on artificial intelligence exports and increase congressional oversight of arms transfers to Israel.
U.K. defense minister Grant Shapps said he has evidence that China is supplying Russia with lethal aid for its war in Ukraine.
The U.S. declined to prosecute a Massachusetts biochemical company that was part of an illegal export scheme involving China, the first time DOJ’s National Security Division has offered a corporate declination under its recently updated voluntary self-disclosure program.