The U.S. Defense Department, NASA and other government agencies funded research that led to more than 1,000 U.S. patents for China-based inventors since 2010, including in sensitive fields such as biotechnology and semiconductors, data from the U.S. patent agency showed.
The U.S. patent data, which was reviewed by Reuters and has not been previously reported, could amplify calls to cancel or renegotiate the landmark U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement, a cooperation deal that critics say disproportionately benefits Washington's top geopolitical rival.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office supplied the data this month to the House of Representatives' select committee on China.