Attorney General Cox Defends 'Counter-China Initiative' Amid Jurisdiction Questions

Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox defended his proposed all-of-government initiative to counter Chinese technology risks during a House Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing Monday, even as lawmakers questioned whether the effort strays into federal territory and diverts resources from stated priorities.

Cox described the initiative as focused on identifying potential vulnerabilities in Chinese-manufactured products used in state infrastructure, from Internet of Things devices to renewable energy systems. He said the effort would involve reviewing technologies for potential kill switches and backdoors, particularly in critical systems like transportation infrastructure.

"I think we have to be very careful based on some of the reporting about some of these technologies, some of these products that have been manufactured in China because they have been reported to include kill switches and backdoors," Cox said.

The Attorney General said he has discussed the initiative with the Department of Transportation, which he identified as having the largest Internet of Things presence in state government, about taking inventory of products in Alaska infrastructure and looking for potential vulnerabilities. He also mentioned conversations about renewable energy projects and highway cameras as areas of concern.

Cox cited a 2017 Chinese national security law that arguably requires any person or business in China to cooperate with Chinese intelligence services as part of the rationale for scrutinizing Chinese-made infrastructure components.

But Committee Chair Representative Gray pressed Cox on whether the initiative crosses into federal jurisdiction. "I have a fear that it's wading into federal issues," Gray said. "And I guess, how do you draw the line between what you as a state attorney general can do with regard to an all-of-government counter-China initiative without stepping on the toes of the feds?"

Cox responded that consumer protection actions involving technologies fall within the wheelhouse of state attorneys general, pointing to deceptive trade practices laws similar to Alaska's that other states have used. "I would say that's right in the lane and wheelhouse of what an attorney general can be focused on," he said.

Gray also questioned the resource commitment to the initiative given Cox's stated priorities of prosecuting domestic violence and sexual assault cases. "I'm kind of wondering if how much time this really takes, how many resources when you have these other priorities that you already mentioned in your opening statement, which I agree with," Gray said. "And then I see, boy, there looks like there's a lot of effort being put here, and in a resource-limited world. How do you balance that?"