1,000+ U.S.-Funded Patents Granted to China

Since 2010, the U.S. Defense Department, NASA, and other government agencies funded research that has led to over 1,000 U.S. patents for China-based inventors, particularly in sensitive fields like biotechnology and semiconductors. This revelation, based on previously unreported data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, could prompt calls to cancel or renegotiate the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement. Key agencies involved include the Department of Defense, which funded 92 patents, and the Department of Health and Human Services, which funded 356 patents. The data was supplied to the House of Representatives' select committee on China, highlighting potential national security concerns and the unwitting use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to benefit Chinese entities. Critics argue the agreement disproportionately benefits China, Washington's top geopolitical rival.