Congress should tackle America's dependency on Chinese language expertise in protection invoice

While China could have lately closed the army functionality hole, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has launched legislative language that might spoil the Chinese language Communist Occasion’s predatory army plans in a single fell swoop.

Constructing off the essential work of former President Donald Trump , who imposed 25% tariffs on Chinese language-made microchips, the senator’s modification to the Nationwide Protection Authorization Act (NDAA) would prohibit the U.S. from buying microchips from firms that work with the CCP.

Microchips are what make a lot of America’s fashionable warfare gear hum. But, the U.S. stays depending on China for its provide. That’s an issue when firms with ties to the CCP make them and promote them to contractors and suppliers working with the federal authorities. And it’s particularly an issue when the majority of China’s technique to defeat the U.S. army hinges upon these chips.

In line with a brand new report launched in October by the Particular Aggressive Research Undertaking, China is in search of to make use of superior applied sciences to use army power “with the purpose of eroding and even leapfrogging america’ army strengths.”

China needs to grow to be the “first movers” in “intelligentized warfare” — warfare that makes use of rising applied sciences reminiscent of AI, 5G networks, and quantum computing to beat army rivals — to supersede the U.S. because the world’s main superpower. And it’s developed a Made in China 2025 street map to make turning into a world chief in synthetic intelligence (AI), 5G wi-fi, quantum computing, and different associated industries a actuality in dangerously quick order.

Guess what expertise is critical to operationalize this intelligentized warfare expertise ? You guessed it: microchips. So why would Congress enable the federal authorities to buy ones which have ties to the identical CCP attempting to make use of them to destroy America and its pursuits? That doesn’t sound protected — not by an extended shot. It raises many points, together with however not restricted to the prospect of future provide chain issues and backdoors that might result in cyber-attacks and espionage.

Whereas either side of the aisle agree on the necessity to scale back dependency on these Chinese language-made chips, they've disagreed on the very best strategy.

Some opposed the CHIPS Act, which aimed to scale back dependency on this overseas expertise by bolstering U.S. manufacturing, as a result of they discovered its $250 billion price ticket too costly and too favorable to massive, rich companies. Sen. Cornyn’s NDAA proposal eliminates all these issues. It doesn’t spend a ton of cash we don’t have; it doesn’t even ban all microchips — it simply will get to the basis of the issue by stopping microchips constructed by firms with identified ties from the CCP from coming the federal authorities’s manner.

After listening to the chilling speeches and proclamations that got here out of the CCP’s twentieth Occasion Congress final month, together with the occasion’s plans to prioritize tech and innovation for strategic functions, each legislator ought to agree that defending America from potential Chinese language expertise threats needs to be a prime nationwide precedence. Passing the Cornyn modification to the NDAA could be an ideal place to start out.

Right here’s hoping the rational heads prevail. Our nationwide safety depends upon it.

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Jon Schweppe is the director of coverage and authorities affairs for the American Ideas Undertaking. Comply with him on Twitter @JonSchweppe.