House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., reported on Sunday that China is responsible for stealing billions of dollars in U.S. intellectual property and has built a "huge spy network" within U.S. institutions.
During his appearance on ABC's "This Week," Comer stated the Chinese surveillance issue was more severe than the presence of spy balloons hovering over the nation. He criticized the Biden administration for permitting China's aircraft to pass through the continental U.S. but noted that the real issue was the government's lack of effort to prevent intellectual property theft.
Comer declared that China is still pilfering intellectual property and patents, in addition to manipulating their currency. He also believes that China is greatly involved in academic institutions, having a spy network that is accessing and taking away research and development that has been earned through hard work.
"So China is a problem, and this administration thus far hasn't set a very good example of standing up to China. I think that, you know, shooting the balloon down in the Atlantic once it flew over all the military bases, including my own Fort Campbell, Kentucky, it's very disturbing," Comer said.
In U.S. and Canadian airspace, three aircrafts have been shot down in the past week. The first one was a Chinese balloon near the South Carolina coast, followed by two more over Alaska and Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supported the take-down of the third plane. So far, only the first balloon has been revealed to be linked to China.
On Sunday Comer said "I'm glad this administration's taken it more seriously with respect to the balloons. But we've got a whole lot bigger problem with China than the spy balloons. I mean, this is a problem. Their military continues to grow and expand," Comer said Sunday.=
Recovery teams from the United States and Canada have been sent out to obtain and examine fragments from the three crafts. The FBI is actively working on analyzing the source of the components of the initial balloon, and may be considering initiating criminal procedures.
Tony Blinken, the Secretary of State, called off his plans to meet with Chinas President Xi Jinping and his Chinese counterpart after the balloon event. Neither faction has declared fresh dates for their gathering.
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