Washington, DC – Today, Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) sent a letter to Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yesui to express strong concern with proposed plans by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to require foreign automakers to hand over electric vehicle technology to their Chinese competitors in exchange for market access in China.
“I am outraged that the Chinese government is considering plans to force foreign automakers to give up proprietary electric vehicle technology to their Chinese competitors in order to be allowed access to China’s market. This violates the sanctity of the intellectual property laws we hold so dear in the United States and amounts, in my estimation, to a violation of China’s obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization. In light of broad frustration among American workers, businesses, and my colleagues in Congress about China’s trade and economic policies, I urge China to reconsider these plans and instead commit to meaningful cooperation with the United States to remedy existing problems in our countries’ trade relations, not the least of which pertains to revaluation of the renminbi.”
On September 16, 2010, The Wall Street Journal published an article detailing U.S. automakers’ concerns with China’s proposed technology transfer plans. A link to both this article and Congressman Dingell’s letter to Ambassador Yesui can be found here.
