A lack of legal protections for intellectual property (IP) rights disincentivizes investment in critical machine learning and artificial intelligence systems, and a report by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence identifies Chinese exploitation of IP policy as a key threat (NSCAI Chapter 12). The U.S. government has taken action in recent years to combat IP theft. In May 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a presidential proclamation limiting student visas for Chinese graduate students with ties to the Chinese “military-civil fusion strategy”, and the Biden administration has thus far chosen not to rescind it. In February 2021, U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Lesko introduced a bill entitled Stop China’s IP Theft Act with the purpose of limiting the entry of Chinese military and government officials in retaliation for alleged efforts to infringe on U.S. intellectual property rights.  

This question will be resolved if the President of the United States issues a Presidential Proclamation or Executive Order, or if the U.S. Congress passes a bill that restricts visa issuance to employees of Chinese companies. The declaration should specifically cite concerns around intellectual property or China’s military-civil fusion strategy.