Washington, D.C. – In advance of the Biden Administration hosting the inaugural Summit for Democracy, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik led 19 of her colleagues in sending a letter to President Joe Biden urging his administration to prioritize tech cooperation with our democratic allies. The Summit begins on December 9 and will include key themes of defending against authoritarianism, addressing and fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights.
“The United States cannot afford to fall behind in emerging technologies as our foreign adversaries, such as Russia and China, undoubtedly use these technologies to promote authoritarianism and threaten democracy,” Congresswoman Stefanik said. “The Chinese Communist Party is already leading the world in critical emerging technologies, including in 5G communications and artificial intelligence. Joining with our allies to develop and deploy our own emerging technologies is the best way to challenge China’s goal of total global technology leadership and authoritarianism. President Biden must use this this Summit to engage with our allies to strengthen the technological capabilities of democracies and combat the rise of tech authoritarianism. It is time for this Administration to put the national security of the United States first.”
“Our adversaries, like the Chinese Communist Party, are working around the clock toward their malign goals using emerging technologies. I am proud to co-lead this effort with Rep. Stefanik and to be joined by 18 of our colleagues in urging the administration to prioritize cooperation with our democratic allies on critical emerging technologies," Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Michael McCaul said.
“It’s never been more important for the U.S. to hold on to the lead in science and technology. Authoritarian regimes in China and Russia have not been shy about aggressively pursuing and demonstrating advanced technologies. Worse, they have made it clear that they are willing to use forced acquisitions and even theft to make rapid progress. Emerging technologies like AI, quantum sciences, and advanced manufacturing will fundamentally impact everything from health care to banking to national security. It’s imperative that the U.S. works with our allies to ensure the ethical development and use of these technologies. These international partnerships, along with House-passed bills to invest in American research and development, will be critical to our continued scientific progress and economic strength,” Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Congressman Frank Lucas said.
Specifically, the letter requests President Biden prioritize democratic cooperation on the following areas:
- Developing, and offering to global customers, trusted 5G and future generations communications equipment to compete with Chinese state-owned companies such as Huawei and ZTE;
- Promoting the development of a democratic network to secure high-tech supply chains and cooperation among tech companies in democratic states to scale emerging technologies;
- Establishing frameworks for the development of AI and other emerging technologies in a manner that is ethical and consistent with democratic values;
- Coordinating with like-minded allies to advance democratic influence in international standards setting bodies;
- Assisting democratic allies in establishing their own bodies like the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review foreign transactions and prevent the transfer of technologies to authoritarian states;
- Establishing a mechanism with other high-tech allies and partners to unify export controls to stop the use of our technology in our adversaries’ militaries and human rights abuses;
- Coordinating with allies and partners on a data framework to protect sensitive data of U.S. citizens, such as genetic information—which aids the CCP in their genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities—from being accessed or stored by authoritarian adversaries.
This is a follow up to a letter Stefanik and her colleagues sent in January urging President Biden to prioritize engagement and cooperation with our allies on emerging technologies.
Read the full letter here.
