A coalition of Republican senators is calling for the Biden administration to terminate a recently renewed science and technology agreement with China. This request comes shortly after both nations extended their collaboration for an additional five years to maintain stable relations.

In a letter sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday, the senators, led by Sen. Jim Risch—who serves as the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—asserted that the conditions under which such cooperation was acceptable have drastically changed. They argued that the extension merely opens avenues for further exploitation of American research by China.

The lawmakers expressed concerns that the renewal of the agreement just before President Biden’s term was concluding prevented the new administration from evaluating this contentious arrangement, urging a reconsideration of the decision. In addition to Risch, the letter received support from Senators John Barrasso, Pete Ricketts, Todd Young, and Bill Hagerty.

The original version of this agreement was created back in January 1979, coinciding with the establishment of diplomatic relations aimed at countering Soviet influence. At that time, China was significantly behind the U.S. and other Western countries in fields of science and technology. The arrangement saw an extension in 2018 and was granted temporary renewals last year and this year for further negotiation amid escalating tech rivalry between the two nations.

According to the State Department, the renewed agreement has been narrowly defined with additional safeguards to protect American interests, focusing solely on basic research and avoiding facilitation of advancements in critical and emerging technologies.

However, the Republican senators have voiced significant concerns over whether these newly implemented protections are adequate to safeguard intellectual property and curb any illicit transfer of knowledge.

The State Department has yet to provide a response regarding the letter received on Thursday. Meanwhile, Deborah Seligsohn, an assistant professor of political science at Villanova University, emphasized that cutting off scientific and technological collaboration with China could result in a greater loss for the United States.

She highlighted the irony of the situation, noting that as China advances to become a competitor, the U.S. stands to benefit considerably from joint scientific initiatives. Seligsohn pointed out that at a time when the U.S. could gain significantly from cooperation, there are calls to close off these opportunities instead.