In the News: US Creates a New Strike Force to Protect Its Technology; Hong Kong Listing Rules React to PRC Changes; and China Accedes to Apostille Convention

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The US Creates a New Strike Force to Protect American Technology

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Commerce have announced the creation of a strike force jointly formed with the U.S. Department of Commerce that is designed to safeguard American technology from being acquired or used by foreign adversaries and protect against other national security threats.  The Disruptive Technology Strike Force will also target illicit actors and strengthen supply chains, according to a Reuters report. At a speech in London last month at which she described the joint task force, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco specifically addressed concerns about the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance, one of the most valuable private companies in China. The strike force will bring together the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and 14 U.S. Attorneys' Offices in 12 metropolitan regions. These include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City (Southern and Eastern Districts of New York), San Jose, California, Phoenix, Portland, Oregon, and the Washington, D.C. region (District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia).