Bipartisan Letter From Senators Asks Administration Not to Loosen Export Controls

A bipartisan group of senators, led by the No. 2 in Republican leadership, asked the treasury secretary, commerce secretary and U.S. trade representative not to loosen export controls for China as they consider how to narrow the bilateral trade deficit. The letter, sent Tuesday, said loosening export controls on sensitive technology "would bolster China’s aggressive military modernization and significantly undermine long-term U.S. national security interests." In addition to Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Sen. John Thune, R-N.D., and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 13 Republicans, 13 Democrats and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine signed the letter. The missive brings up possible softening of sanctions on ZTE: "We urge you not to compromise lawful U.S. enforcement actions against serial and pre-meditated violators of U.S. law, such as ZTE. Export control and sanctions laws should not be negotiable, because fidelity to the rule of law is a key part of what distinguishes the U.S. from a country like China that is ruled by a Communist dictatorship." On Capitol Hill, anti-ZTE efforts moved forward (see 1805230058).