The U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement (STA), signed in 1979, was the first major bilateral agreement between the United States and China. Since then, it has been renewed multiple times and has facilitated China’s integration into the global economy. However, experts agree that the current STA no longer reflects China’s expanded scientific and technological (S&T) capacity, nor does it address U.S. concerns about China’s S&T practices and policies. In August 2023, after President Biden nearly allowed the STA to lapse beyond its usual five-year renewal period, he approved two six-month extensions. It is now set to expire on August 27, 2024.
In an interview conducted on August 21, 2024, Scott Moore speaks with Yasheng Huang and Deborah Seligsohn about current U.S.-China scientific collaboration, the legacy of the STA, and the potential future of an STA 2.0.
