[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 6, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H75-H76]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    ADDRESSING THE THREAT POSED BY APPLICATIONS AND OTHER SOFTWARE 
    DEVELOPED OR CONTROLLED BY CHINESE COMPANIES--MESSAGE FROM THE 
           PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 117-6)

  The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message 
from the President of the United States; which was read and, together 
with the accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs and ordered to be printed:

To the Congress of the United States:
  Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 
1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby 
report that I have issued an Executive Order declaring additional steps 
to be taken concerning the national emergency with respect to the 
information and communications technology and services supply chain 
declared in Executive Order 13873 of May 15, 2019 (Securing the 
Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain) to 
deal with the threat posed by applications and other

[[Page H76]]

software developed or controlled by Chinese companies.
  The pace and pervasiveness of the spread in the United States of 
certain connected mobile and desktop applications and other software 
developed or controlled by persons in the People's Republic of China 
(PRC), to include Hong Kong and Macau (China), continue to threaten the 
national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. By 
accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and 
computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and 
capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive 
personally identifiable information and private information. The 
continuing activity of the PRC and the Chinese Communist Party to steal 
or otherwise obtain United States persons' data makes clear that there 
is an intent to use bulk data collection to advance China's economic 
and national security agenda. To deal with this threat, additional 
steps are required against those who develop or control certain Chinese 
connected software applications to protect our national security.
  The Executive Order prohibits certain future transactions, as 
determined by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), involving the 
following Chinese connected software applications: Alipay, CamScanner, 
QQ Wallet, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate, WeChat Pay, and WPS Office. The 
Secretary is also directed to:
  (i) continue to evaluate Chinese connected software applications that 
may pose an unacceptable risk to the national security, foreign policy, 
or economy of the United States, and to take appropriate action in 
accordance with Executive Order 13873; and
  (ii) in consultation with the Attorney General and the Director of 
National Intelligence, provide a report to the Assistant to the 
President for National Security Affairs with recommendations to prevent 
the sale or transfer of United States user data to, or access of such 
data by, foreign adversaries, including through the establishment of 
regulations and policies to identify, control, and license the export 
of such data.
  I have delegated to the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary 
of the Treasury and the Attorney General, the authority to take such 
actions, including adopting appropriate rules and regulations, and 
employing all other powers granted to the President by IEEPA, as may be 
necessary to implement the Executive Order. The heads of all executive 
departments and agencies are directed to take all appropriate measures 
within their authority to implement the provisions of the Executive 
Order.
  I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
                                                     Donald J. Trump.  
The White House, January 5, 2021.

                          ____________________