US seeks to extend longstanding scientific research agreement with China

The US is seeking a six-month extension to a decades-old science and technology agreement with China so that it can undergo negotiations with Beijing to "strengthen" the pact, the state department has said. The landmark deal, signed when Beijing and Washington established diplomatic ties in 1979 and renewed about every five years since, has led to the geopolitical rivals cooperating across a range of scientific and technical fields. But concerns about China's growing military prowess and theft of US scientific and commercial achievements have prompted questions in Washington about whether the science and technology agreement (STA), set to expire on…