This bill reestablishes an initiative in the National Security Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat espionage, theft of intellectual property and trade secrets, and threats to critical infrastructure posed by the Chinese government. A similar initiative was launched in 2018 and discontinued in 2022.
Specifically, this bill establishes the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Initiative and sets forth its objectives, including to curb spying by the Chinese Communist Party on U.S. intellectual property and academic institutions; develop an enforcement strategy for technology transfers by nontraditional collectors (e.g., researchers in labs or at universities) to Chinese individuals and entities or their agents contrary to U.S. interests; and address China-related risks arising from foreign investments in U.S. businesses and real estate.
The bill further specifies that the CCP Initiative must prioritize the identification and prosecution of trade secret theft, hacking, and economic espionage; the protection of critical infrastructure in the United States; and the identification of intellectual property theft from U.S. businesses.
Under the bill, the CCP Initiative terminates six years after enactment.