Before the upcoming US Congress and presidential elections, just two months away, the House of Representatives swiftly passed nearly 30 bills targeting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Experts pointed out that in American politics, confronting the CCP has become in vogue, and the votes surrounding these bills may bring about an election advantage.
Among the 28 bills aimed at the CCP, one in particular has garnered attention due to its call for the Department of Justice to re-establish the “China Initiative.” This initiative was previously introduced by the Trump administration, but was forced to end due to allegations of “racial profiling.”
On September 11, the House of Representatives passed the “Protecting American Innovation and Economic Security Act of 2024” (H.R. 1398) with 237 votes in favor and 180 votes against.
This bill calls for the establishment of the “China Initiative” by the Justice Department’s National Security Division to address the threats posed by the CCP, to counter espionage activities by the CCP against American intellectual property and academic institutions, and to formulate enforcement strategies targeting non-traditional collectors, including researchers in laboratories, universities, and defense industrial bases.
The proposal was jointly introduced by Republican federal Representatives Lance Gooden and Randy Weber of Texas, Bill Posey of Florida, and Doug Lamborn of Colorado.
In November 2018, the US Department of Justice launched the “China Initiative” to prosecute CCP spies operating in the US research and industrial sectors, aiming to combat intellectual property theft activities in the academic field. Most cases involved researchers who failed to disclose Chinese funding in grant applications, with many cases implicating professors at American universities, stirring significant controversy. On February 23, 2022, the Department of Justice announced the termination of the “China Initiative.”
However, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, who was responsible for national security at the time, stated that this decision did not mean the Department of Justice was abandoning action against the threats posed by the CCP but rather seeking alternative means to pursue this goal.
Now, with the House of Representatives passing the bill, it calls for the Justice Department to restart the “China Initiative,” demonstrating Congress’s unwavering resolve to combat CCP academic espionage.
Former Acting Director of Operations at the US Indo-Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center in Hawaii, Carl Schuster, told Epoch Times that the “Protecting American Innovation Act” marks the first legislative effort aimed at countering the CCP’s influence in major academic and political institutions in the US.
Schuster said, “It seeks to fundamentally undermine Chinese (CCP) infiltration and influence in our major academic and political institutions. For example, the assistant to the Governor of New York and the chief of police in New York City … have connections with local communist party organizations.”
In September of this year, a federal indictment accused Sun Wen, an aide to the Governor of New York, of accepting bribes from the Chinese Consulate, including having a private chef from the consulate deliver Nanjing salted duck to Sun Wen’s parents.
The New York Police Department is currently embroiled in controversy after the resignation of former Commissioner Edward Caban. Being a key aide to Caban, Lin Gui’an served as Vice Chairman of a group called the “United Front” for 12 years. The main task of the United Front was to disseminate propaganda for the CCP government in the US, overseen by the United Front Work Department, which is funded and controlled by the CCP.
Schuster stated, “Beijing places a high priority on political warfare and dividing the political unity of potential adversaries, and we are one of the strongest adversaries. If they can divide us politically, we won’t be able to unite against Beijing’s aggression.”
Anders Corr, founder of the Corr Analytics consultancy and publisher of the Political Risk Magazine, told Epoch Times that initiatives such as the “China Initiative” are crucial because the CCP is the biggest long-term adversary of the US.
“While some may avoid directly naming China, it is not only naming China now but naming the Chinese Communist Party as an adversary specifically. No other political organization, such as the CCP, effectively managed like the Mafia, in control of a nation with 1.4 billion people, poses such a threat to US democracy.”
On September 10, during House discussions, Republicans and Democrats engaged in heated debates over the “Protecting American Innovation Act.” Democratic opponents of the bill argue that it embodies racial discrimination and suspicion of “racial profiling” against Asian-American researchers. They view this initiative as a replication of the Justice Department’s “China Initiative” during the Trump administration period, labeling it as new McCarthyism.
However, Schuster believes that the bill does not represent “new McCarthyism” but rather a delayed response to the CCP’s 30 years of espionage activities and influence operations.
Corr also stated that this is not new McCarthyism or racism, as it does not universally target Chinese-Americans or Chinese individuals. He emphasized that to avoid such criticism and better target the true enemies of democracy, the focus should be on the CCP rather than all of China.
Schuster expressed concerns that in the Department of Justice’s robust enforcement actions, innocent Chinese-Americans might be implicated. He noted the need to ensure strong and effective control by senior Department of Justice officials over the implementation of the legislation since the US is a multi-ethnic democratic country.
The series of bills targeting the CCP rolled out during China Week in Congress is not limited to just the “Protecting American Innovation Act.” As of September 12, the House of Representatives had passed 28 bills focusing on the CCP, including legislation restricting the sale of agricultural land to foreigners from Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, a bill prohibiting federal support for biotech companies collecting Americans’ genetic data, a bill prohibiting the use of surveillance devices produced by DJI Technology on drones, and a bill denying tax breaks to individuals who purchase electric cars containing components manufactured or assembled by entities from China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran, among others.
Schuster indicated that Congress introducing a series of bills targeting the CCP at this time serves a political purpose. With just six weeks until the congressional and presidential elections, votes in favor of or against these laws can be used as political campaign tools. It’s currently trendy to present a strong stance against China.
Former Senior Research Fellow at the Cato Institute, Ted Galen Carpenter, wrote that during the 2022 midterm elections, both parties exhibited evident, sometimes sharp, partisan disputes on a range of domestic and international issues. However, one area where no division appeared was in policy regarding the CCP. Instead, there is an increasing consensus between both parties on this issue. The only competition seems to revolve around which side will adopt a tougher stance against Beijing.
A May survey by the Pew Research Center showed that since the last US election, American views on China (CCP) have become increasingly negative, with 42% of Americans viewing it as an enemy, while only 6% consider it a partner.