China Herald: AVIC

Wendell Minnick

Two members of US Congress have asked for a National Security Review and a Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States review into a new GE joint venture with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), writes defense analyst Wendell Minnick in Defense News.

Wendell Minnick:

Two letters sent to [defense secretary Leon] Panetta - from Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., and Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va. - criticize the GE deal with AVIC by questioning the formation of an enterprise to develop integrated modular avionics (IMA) hardware and software for China.

"This IMA technology was developed originally for the ... F-22 and F-35 fifth-generation fighter program," Forbes wrote in the Oct. 17 letter.

Forbes said he is concerned the technology could end up in China's new stealth fighter, the J-20, under production by AVIC.

Wolf responded with a Nov. 14 letter strongly supporting Forbes' call for a review and questioning whether GE could protect secrets from an aggressive Chinese espionage effort.

"Given the breadth and scope of this espionage, GE's assertions that they will be able to fully protect sensitive technology lacks credibility," he wrote. "Should the GE-AVIC joint venture proceed, there is no question that all the sensitive technology involved will be completely compromised by the PLA [China's People's Liberation Army]."

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