Data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office revealed that it granted 1,020 patents to Chinese inventors involved in U.S. government-funded research projects in sensitive fields, including semiconductors, biotechnology and nanotechnology, Reuters reported Friday.
The USPTO submitted the data to the House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party as lawmakers looked into the risks of renewing a U.S. science and technology agreement with China, which is suspected of stealing U.S. intellectual property to advance its military capabilities.
The agreement, which originally expired in August 2023, was extended for two six-month periods that ended on Aug. 27. According to the Department of State, talks with China are still ongoing regarding the renewal of the accord.
Data from the USPTO did not indicate that the said patents were the direct result of the agreement but it revealed that NASA, which is prohibited by U.S. law from cooperating with Chinese entities, and the departments of Defense, Energy and Health and Human Services provided financial support to research involving at least one Chinese inventor.
Regarding international patents, China has surpassed the U.S. in the number of patent applications submitted through the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Patent Cooperation Treaty. The PCT allows seeking patent protection in multiple countries through a single application.
In March, the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics published a report showing that Chinese inventors applied for 68,600 patents in 2022, while the U.S. submitted 58,200.