Updates protocol first enacted in 1979 to include “emerging technologies”
The United States and China signed an amendment to the Science and Technology agreement this month, authorizing updates to the decades-old language and extending it for another five years.
The agreement was first signed by President Jimmy Carter and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1979, which accounted for collaboration on technologies. The amendment added provisions for “critical or emerging technologies,” as well as “guardrails” to ensure “reciprocity, transparency and openness,” a State Department official stated. The amendment also implements dispute mechanisms in case of “bad faith action.”
The agreement has been reauthorized by the two nations every five years, but an extension was granted in 2023 to allow representatives to negotiate on these updated terms. Some members of Congress had urged President Biden’s administration to allow the agreement to expire, saying that further collaboration could strengthen Chinese military technologies.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For State Department officials as they review and extend international agreements.
- For wisdom for the president and his advisors as they make decisions surrounding emerging technologies.
Sources: VOA News, AP News
