Confronting the threat of the Chinese Communist Party

By Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks

The aggressive actions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) pose an undeniable threat to our national security.

Last year, when a Chinese spy balloon flew over the nation’s airspace garnering national news attention, Chinese-state intelligence operations rose to the forefront of national security discussions. While Beijing’s influence operations are not always as obvious, they are equally as alarming. In addition to purchasing farmland next to military bases, the CCP has stolen enough intellectual property to cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars. In one of the most poorly kept secrets, CCP-owned enterprises often employ children or exploit and oppress religious minorities for slave labor – particularly in the manufacturing sector.

Perhaps most insidiously, the Chinese government subsidizes the creation of synthetic fentanyl precursors which are supplied to cartels and trafficked into the United States – contributing to the deaths of over 70,000 Americans each year.

We cannot mischaracterize these offenses as the scrappy, potshots of a far-away bully. The CCP’s strategy of subversion is an urgent and imminent threat. Through their “united front” work – a blueprint for state-backed foreign influence operations – the CCP funds Confucius Institutes across America with the objective of manipulating public perception.

Despite these grave threats, the Biden-Harris Administration has failed to respond decisively. They promised to be tough on China, yet we have witnessed an alarming expansion of Chinese Communist influence. In this leadership vacuum created by the White House, House Republicans have taken initiative by passing 25 critical bills aimed at countering the CCP’s threats. One of the most important of these bills was prohibiting the CCP from purchasing farmland.

The House of Representatives passed the ‘Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act’ which would allow USDA to review foreign investments into agricultural land. Our home state has been a leader on this issue by enacting stronger reporting requirements for foreign investments into Iowa farmland. It is crucial for us to keep our domestic food supply secure.

Also among the 25 bills is also the ‘STOP CCP Act’, which imposes stringent sanctions on CCP officials who continue to harass Taiwan or contribute to the Uyghur genocide and the ‘End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act’. It prohibits Chinese manufacturers of EV components from receiving U.S. tax credits.

Let me be clear: the fight against the CCP’s influence is far from over. We will not back down. Together, we must defend our nation, uphold our values, and stand fiercely against communist tyranny.

In Congress, I will remain relentless in my commitment to legislation that confronts the ever-growing threat of the CCP. We cannot afford complacency; our national security and way of life in Iowa are at stake.