Creating a Bulwark Against Chinese IP Theft.

• Date: 01 July 2018
• Author: Larsen, Christian

Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander, then-U.S. Cyber Command commander and director of the National Security Agency, once famously--or infamously--stated that the illegal extraction of U.S. technology and intellectual property through cyber intrusion represented the greatest transfer of wealth in history"

That was in 2012.

In 2018, the White House and Congress are finally recognizing China's rampant campaign of state-sponsored cyber hacking and commercial theft of critical U.S. "know-how" and intellectual property. Although the U.S. government cannot undo this extensive knowledge transfer, it can take steps to curb the assault on America's technological advantages.

Recent tariffs levied against China, coupled with Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) reform efforts, represent positive and necessary steps to significantly limit the damage and allow the United States to maintain its innovation edge.

These steps, however, only offer a partial solution, first because they are insufficient, and second because some level of cooperation and collaboration between the United States and China strengthens economic ties and acts as a stabilizing factor in maintaining security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Over the past few decades, China has become more integrated into the international system...