Austin News

U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Gary Peters (D-MI) have successfully pushed for legislation to protect the country's transportation infrastructure from potential espionage threats posed by the Chinese government and other hostile governments. Their bill, the Airport Infrastructure Resources (AIR) Security Act, has been signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.

The legislation aims to prevent government grants from being used to subsidize the purchase of airport infrastructure, such as jet bridges, from hostile governments. Sen. Cornyn emphasized the importance of the bill in addressing national security concerns, stating, "The national security threat China and other adversaries pose to our transportation industry cannot be underestimated."

Sen. Peters echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need to safeguard the nation's transportation sector against security threats. He stated, "As airports across the country continue to receive federal investments to make critical improvements, this provision will help ensure these vital projects are not purchasing airport equipment from adversarial governments."

The bill was introduced by Sen. Cornyn in 2020, and it specifically targets Chinese jet bridge manufacturer CIMC-Tianda, which was previously found guilty of intellectual property theft from a U.S. jet bridge manufacturer. CIMC-Tianda was banned from U.S. markets for a period of 10 years due to this violation. However, since the ban has expired, CIMC-Tianda has reemerged in U.S. markets and has been bidding on airport projects in Miami, Orlando, Boston, and Dallas.

Under the AIR Security Act, airport improvement project grants cannot be used to enter into a contract for the acquisition of passenger boarding bridge equipment with any entity that has violated the intellectual property rights of U.S. entities. This measure is aimed at preventing bad actors like CIMC-Tianda from influencing U.S. transportation infrastructure.

With the signing of this bill into law, the United States takes a significant step in protecting its transportation industry from potential espionage and safeguarding critical infrastructure. The legislation demonstrates a bipartisan commitment to national security and underscores the importance of preventing adversarial governments from gaining influence over the country's transportation networks.

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-peters-bill-to-protect-u-s-transportation-infrastructure-from-chinese-espionage-signed-into-law/