China weaponizes IP theft faster than the US military

Property protection. China’s rise has been accompanied by massive theft of American intellectual property. U.S. military commanders in the Pacific say that the Chinese often weaponize and field that property faster than the U.S. does, even though the insights originated in America. While the technology sector has made big strides in implementing better cybersecurity, there is more Washington can do to help. Until recently, little was done to penalize companies like Huawei that may have benefited from the misappropriation of U.S. intellectual property. Sanctions against foreign actors who aim to undermine the competitiveness of U.S. technology companies need to be a bigger and more consistent feature of federal policy. Washington’s response to the threat of espionage and cyber intrusion shouldn’t be aimed just at the perpetrators—it should also be aimed at the foreign companies that benefit from illegal behavior.