Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday called on the Trump administration to bar American citizens and businesses from supporting Chinese and Russian civilian intelligence and security agencies.
Congress approved a law in 2018 banning Americans from providing support to foreign military intelligence agencies but leaving the door open to such aid for similar civilian-led organisations. In 2019, Reuters revealed the United Arab Emirates had hired over a dozen former US intelligence operatives to hack dissidents, journalists, and Americans, shining a spotlight on the issue.
Rules implementing a 2022 congressional measure to bolster controls have not yet been finalised, leaving "glaring loopholes that harm US national security and foreign policy interests," Democratic Senator Ron Wyden and Republican John Cornyn wrote in a letter addressed to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
"Foreign intelligence agencies in many countries can still legally hire consultants in the United States and buy advanced U.S. surveillance, cyber, and artificial intelligence technology, for use in their intelligence operations to target Americans, and operate against American national security and foreign policy interests," the senators wrote in the letter dated Tuesday.
The Commerce Department and the Russian and Chinese embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The letter, not previously reported, comes as congressional pressure from both sides of the aisle mounts on the administration to take a tougher line on China ahead of a visit to Washington next month by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Republican Congressman John Moolenaar, who leads the House Select Committee on China, called on the government earlier this month to make sure chip manufacturers don't send advanced logic chips to untrusted Chinese firms.
A decision by the Trump administration earlier this year to allow Nvidia (NVDA.O), to sell advanced AI chips to China has drawn fire from both parties.
Democratic Senator Peter Welch, Republican Congressmen Michael McCaul and Pat Harrigan and Democratic Congresswoman Sara Jacobs also signed the letter.
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