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A group of bipartisan US lawmakers has introduced the Guarding the US Against Adversarial Robotics Dominance (GUARD) Act, a bill that would subject robots made by China and other foreign adversaries to national security reviews and potentially ban their import into the United States, the US House Select Committee on China has said.
The legislation was introduced by Representative John Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on China, along with Representatives Jay Obernolte and Jennifer McClellan. Moolenaar said Chinese-made robots pose risks to US national security, critical infrastructure and American workers. He alleged that such systems could contain vulnerabilities that may be exploited for espionage and warned against allowing Chinese robotics technology to become deeply embedded across the country, according to the press release. As per a press release, the US House Select Committee on China further said that Moolenaar accused Chinese robotics firms, including Unitree Robotics, of benefiting from substantial state subsidies that enable them to sell products at artificially low prices. He argued that this could undermine US robotics manufacturers, increase dependence on Chinese technology and strengthen companies with reported ties to China's military sector. Obernolte stressed that as robotics becomes increasingly integrated into the US economy, the communications equipment and services powering these systems must remain secure and protected from potential exploitation by foreign adversaries. The GUARD Act, he said, would help safeguard national security while supporting domestic robotics innovation, the press release noted. McClellan said the United States must remain vigilant against evolving threats from countries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. She argued that communications equipment and services that could pose security risks should be kept out of homes, offices and public spaces. Under the proposed legislation, US national security agencies would be required to assess humanoid and quadruped robots produced by foreign adversaries. The US House Select Committee on China said robots found to present unacceptable risks would be added to the Federal Communications Commission's Covered List, effectively barring them from the US market. Products not reviewed within one year would automatically be placed on the list. The press release also recalled that Moolenaar and other members of the committee previously sent a bipartisan letter to US administration officials warning about potential national security concerns related to Unitree. The lawmakers called for the company to be considered for inclusion on the Pentagon's Chinese military companies list, the Department of Commerce's Entity List and the FCC Covered List. (ANI)
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