Senator Marco Rubio continues taking aim at China by criticizing ZTE, which is a telecommunications company that’s run by the Chinese government.
Working in tandem with Senator Chris Van Hollen to introduce the ZTE Enforcement Review and Oversight (ZERO) Act. The bill is aimed at forcing the company accused of stealing technology by calling for “all probationary conditions in the Commerce Department’s deal to lift the denial order’s seven-year ban against the export of U.S. parts and components to ZTE.” In addition, if the Commerce Secretary cannot regularly certify ZTE’s full compliance with the deal and with relevant U.S. export controls and sanctions laws, the denial order’s crippling punishments will be reinstated against ZTE.”
Senator Rubio commented that “With China’s communist government posing the greatest, long-term threat to the United States, we must continue to confront ZTE’s real risks to our economy and national security. While it was a mistake to reach a ‘deal’ with ZTE in the first place, this bill will ensure ZTE is finally put out of business if it does not hold up its end of the bargain.”
Van Hollen also added that “ZTE has repeatedly misled federal investigators and violated U.S. laws, and their behavior represents a fundamental threat to our national security. At the bare minimum, Congress must act to ensure that this giant telecommunications company is not able to violate the current agreement with the Department of Commerce or our laws. This bipartisan legislation will hold ZTE’s feet to the fire and should be considered without delay.”