John Mulryner, the Chairperson of the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, urged the International Trade Commission (ITC) to prohibit the entry of products from China's largest display corporations, BOE, into the U.S. for reasons of national security.
In a letter sent to the ITC on the 19th (local time), Mulryner warned, "If the import of BOE displays, which have been revealed to infringe U.S. patents, is not blocked, the United States will become excessively dependent on BOE for advanced technologies essential to military applications." He noted, "Not sanctioning BOE sends a dangerous message that Chinese corporations can infringe upon U.S. intellectual property rights without consequence."
BOE, which manufactures LCD (liquid crystal display) and OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panels, has grown with substantial support from the Chinese government. BOE's display products are crucial not only for consumer goods such as TVs and smartphones but also for military and weapons systems. Recently, the ITC ruled that BOE infringed multiple U.S. patented technologies; however, it did not recommend a prohibition order on imports, stating that "the impact on the U.S. industry is not significant enough."
Earlier in September, Mulryner also requested the Ministry of National Defense to include BOE on the list of Chinese military corporations. He stated, "BOE is being utilized within China for the Chinese military and civilian technology integration strategy, which could pose a potential threat to U.S. national security."