Cybersecurity Policy Report, Bipartisan Senate Bill Targets Chinese Exploitation of U.S. Tech, (Aug 12, 2026)
The Commerce Department would have to assess the threat posed by U.S. affiliates of Chinese tech companies under bipartisan legislation introduced by Sens. Jon Husted (R., Ohio) and Mark Warner (D., Va.).
The Addressing Dangerous Vulnerabilities in Exports and Research to Strategic Adversaries, Regimes and Industrial Entities of Security Concern (ADVERSARIES) Act (S.B. 5381, 119th Cong. (2026)) “would direct the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to study whether U.S.-domiciled affiliates of designated Chinese companies allow these companies to circumvent export controls to access controlled technologies,” the senators explained in a news release.
BIS would also have to study “the national security threats posed by foreign adversary exploitation of vulnerabilities in information and communications technology and services (ICTS),” according to the bill’s text.
The ADVERSARIES Act was among four bills Sens. Husted and Warner introduced to tighten export controls on U.S. technology, identify nations that seek to circumvent those controls, and assess the effect of export control violations.
The legislative package includes the China AI Power Report Act (S.B. 5382, 119th Cong. (2026)). “This bill would require the Secretaries of Commerce and State, in consultation with relevant federal agencies, to provide an annual report on the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to indigenize its artificial intelligence (AI) stack,” the senators noted.
“This report would include information on Beijing’s progress to develop home-grown chip design and production, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, subcomponent production, model development and deployment competencies,” they said.
The assessment would have to include “an evaluation of the extent to which ... [a Chinese AI] model exhibits advanced cyber offensive capabilities,” according to the bill’s text.
“America must continue to compete and win in the technology race, but we know that communist China’s strategy has never been to compete, but to steal and exploit. This bipartisan package would strengthen our understanding of China’s action, improve enforcement and protect American companies, workers and innovations from Chinese espionage,” Sen. Husted said.
“The U.S. must continue to lead in the technologies that will define the future, and we cannot allow China or other foreign adversaries to exploit American innovation and turn our own technologies against us. These bipartisan bills make commonsense improvements that will strengthen America’s national security, protect our technological edge, and bolster our global competitiveness,” Sen. Warner said.
House versions of the China AI Power Report Act and ADVERSARIES Act have already cleared the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
News: FederalLegislation DataSecurity AINews