The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is working around the clock to infiltrate and influence our institutions. Weekly Column - October 25, 2023 The Chinese Communist Party is in Our Backyards The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is working around the clock to infiltrate and influence our institutions. From purchasing farmland to mishandling viruses, the CCP strives to root itself within our economy, national security, and livelihoods so as to weaken us as a nation and a people. This is the reality we face, and if we ignore it, we do so at our own peril. The CCP has launched a multi-tier campaign to control assets within our nation and collect sensitive information. In this year alone we have seen a variety of instances where the CCP, and its tactics, have been brought to light. Earlier this year, two men were arrested in New York City for establishing a secret “police” station within the city on behalf of the CCP to perform what the Justice Department refers to as transnational repression—a tool used by foreign governments to identify, intimidate, and silence dissidents. This group was successful in locating and targeting pro-democracy activists of Chinese descent that had fled their country in search of freedom from the CCP. Last month we learned of a pattern of Chinese nationals breaching military installations and sensitive sites within the U.S. With over one hundred incidents that officials describe as potential forms of espionage, these actors often sought out sites in rural areas and posed as lost tourists when confronted by authorities. In most cases, the Chinese nationals were photographing the sites, and officials believe them to be testing security practices on bases and sensitive federal locations. Just last week we saw an arrest made in connection to a Chinese-owned, fraudulent biolab in Reedley, California, a town of about 25,000 people. In the lab, officials found rancid biological samples of HIV, Hepatitis, malaria, Coronaviruses, and other infectious diseases. The owner of the lab, a Chinese citizen who had changed his and his company’s name numerous times to avoid investigation, was charged with manufacturing and distributing hundreds of thousands of misbranded medical devices from the Reedley lab across the U.S. and to China. These “incidents” are becoming all too common, and it is imperative we put a stop to them now to ensure the future security of our nation. That’s why last month, we on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party issued our first subpoena alongside the House Energy and Commerce Committee to begin investigating how this lab was able to operate and whether its owners have connections to the CCP. I’m also focused on protecting American land from acquisition by the CCP; an effort aimed at targeting the root of China’s tactics. In the last few years, we have seen a radical increase in agriculture land being purchased by Chinese companies with ties to the CCP, much of which is located near sensitive sites such as military installations. In response to the CCP’s attempts to acquire such assets in the United States, and with support from my colleagues in Congress, I have introduced the Prohibition of Agricultural Land for the People’s Republic of China Act to prevent agricultural land from being purchased by any foreign nationals associated with the CCP. I also introduced a bill with my Select Committee colleagues to prevent foreign adversaries from exploiting U.S. land near national security sites by giving the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) jurisdiction over any potential land purchases by foreign adversaries. Additionally, in my capacity as a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, I included an amendment in the annual Agriculture and Rural Development Appropriations Bill to prevent the Chinese Communist Party from acquiring critical assets within our borders. While there is no doubt the CCP’s efforts will continue, I will remain vigilant and continue to fight for aggressive policies against our nation’s adversary. I am proud of the work we have already accomplished, and I look forward to continuing to bring the voices of Central Washingtonians to the fight against those that seek a world without liberty. View on My Website ‌ ‌ ‌ newhouse.house.gov Congressman Dan Newhouse | 504 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]