UPDATE: Following the letter from U.S. senators questioning why the Biden Department of Defense had not released a list of active "Chinese military companies" in the country, the Pentagon on Wednesday afternoon released the information it had, for unknown reasons, failed to make public. It can be viewed here. The question remains: why didn't the DoD release the list as required before being pressured to do so by Republican lawmakers?
ORIGINAL POST: It's no secret that the Chinese Communist Party is tirelessly working to subvert and/or steal American technology and research. From corporate espionage and work to steal research from universities to attempts to gain information about U.S. military capabilities, the CCP has grown even more bold in its reconnaissance. (Remember that CCP spy balloon?) So why didn't the Biden Department of Defense disclose which CCP entities are active within the U.S. as required by law?
That's the question being asked by a handful of U.S. senators in a new letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin regarding efforts that are part of the CCP's "Military-Civil Fusion" strategy aimed at modernizing China's army by pairing its military efforts with civilian and commercial research sectors. That means a blending of military and non-military entities, some of which are, alarmingly, active within the U.S.
"We write to express our concerns regarding the Department of Defense’s failure to annually publish the names of 'Chinese military companies' operating directly or indirectly in the United States, as required by Section 1260H of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act," the lawmakers explained of the requirement passed with bipartisan support.
Signed by Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), the letter warned that, in "a secretive and exploitative manner, China is acquiring the intellectual property, key research, and technological advancements of the world’s citizens, researchers, scholars, and private industry in order to advance its military aims." Those activities undertaken by the CCP, lawmakers said, "threaten the trust, transparency, reciprocity, and shared values that underpin international science and technology collaboration and fair global business practices."
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Such activities deserve scrutiny from the United States, yet the Biden Department of Defense has failed to comply with the reporting requirement, leaving Americans, the corporate world, and lawmakers in the dark about the full scope of the CCP's malign efforts.
In order for the U.S. to compete with and counter the CCP, "it is imperative that the Department of Defense continues to release the 'Chinese military companies' list," instruct the lawmakers. "The public release of this list ensures that U.S. and international companies are aware of specific Chinese entities that are supporting China’s military ambitions."
Because the Biden DoD has failed to release the list, the letter demands a briefing from Pentagon officials and an explanation "why the Department of Defense failed to produce the 'Chinese military companies' list in 2023" in addition to "an update on the process for determining how the Department of Defense develops, updates, and publishes the list."
