Lawmakers Call for Stronger Export Controls in Light of Chinese Spy Balloon Incident

Export controls need to be improved following reports that the Chinese spy balloon shot down by the U.S. earlier this year contained American technology, Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., said in an emailed statement June 29. The lawmakers cited a Wall Street Journal report that said the spy balloon was “loaded with American-made equipment” that allowed it to collect information.

“This news heightens our concerns from the start that the [Chinese Communist Party] uses U.S. technology in its intelligence and military activities, including in the surveillance balloon,” McCaul and Hagerty said. “This incident has not been closed, and we look forward to viewing the full technology analysis of the surveillance balloon. Competitive actions, like export controls, must move forward to stand up to Communist China.”

The Commerce Department in February added the six entities to the Entity List because of their ties to China’s “High Altitude Balloons'' intelligence and reconnaissance activities (see 2302100072).