US launches initiative for Chinese trade theft cases

United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions has announced an initiative that will deal with Chinese trade theft cases, saying there should be an end to "cheating".

His comments on Thursday come after he announced charges against Chinese and Taiwan companies of stealing more than USD 8 billion worth of trade secrets from Micron -- a US-based company that produces semiconductor devices, mainly dynamic random-access memory (DRAM).

"Chinese economic espionage against the United States has been increasing -- and it has been increasing rapidly. We are here today to say: 'Enough is enough'. We're not going to take it anymore," Sessions said.

The attorney general said he had ordered the creation of a "China Initiative" that would identify priority Chinese trade theft cases and bring those to effective and quick conclusion.

"This will help us meet the new and evolving threats to our economy. Today, we see Chinese espionage not just taking place against traditional targets like our defense and intelligence agencies, but against targets like research labs and universities, and we see Chinese propaganda disseminated on our campuses," he said.

It will be led by Assistant Attorney General John Demers, who heads the National Security Division of the Department of Justice. The team is composed of a senior FBI Executive, five US attorneys, several other Department of Justice leaders and officials.

The new initiative, Session said, would address two major responsibilities of the National Security Division: review of investments and licenses in the country's infrastructure and telecommunications; and counter covert efforts to influence leaders and the general public.

"International trade has been good for China, but the cheating must stop. And we must have more law enforcement cooperation; China cannot be a safe haven for criminals who run to China when they are in trouble, never to be extradited. China must accept the repatriation of Chinese citizens who break US immigration law and are awaiting return," he said.

The US will continue to charge wrongdoers based on carefully-conducted investigations done with integrity and professionalism, not politics, Sessions said. "To be prosperous trading partners, integrity and cooperation are essential.