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According to CNBC, the Justice Department launched the “China Initiative” in November 2018 in response to Chinese national security threats while the Chinese have accused the United States protecting US companies from competition and attempting to hinder China’s technological development.

The Justice Department issued a warning to companies to bolster their defenses against economic espionage, which has seen an 80% increase in cases since 2012. US Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Hickey is quoted as saying more “more cases are being opened that implicate trade secret theft”.

Further more, Adam’s states:

“We expect other nations will want to become self-sufficient in critical technologies. That’s what we’d expect of a responsible government,” he said. “The issue isn’t that China has set out to do that. It’s that part of their industrial policy, part of the way they try to accomplish that, is state-sponsored theft or creating an environment that rewards or turns a blind eye to it.”

The DOJ believes part of the continued espionage efforts are part of the “Made in China 2025” strategic plan to reduce China’s dependence on importations of technology in 10 industries including information technology, robots, aviation, bio-pharmaceuticals and railway transportation.

If you have questions on imports or exports from China, contact experienced trade attorney David Hsu at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.