U.S. industry groups representing Apple, IBM and other tech firms blame China’s rules on inbound investment for infringing the intellectual property rights of American companies, according to the South China Morning Post.
The groups spoke in a public hearing held in Washington to gather input for an ongoing trade investigation. Erin Ennis, senior vice-president of the U.S.-China Business Council, said that rules that required them to transfer technology to Chinese enterprises “as a condition to gain market access” might place “unreasonable and discriminatory burdens” on American commercial interests. He added that the “the ultimate goal” was to eliminate technology transfer requirements,
The event was the first hearing in support of U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s inquiry into alleged Chinese intellectual property theft under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974.
