Following an investigation by the Daily Caller News Foundation, Indiana prohibits local governments from entering into cooperative agreements with agencies or governments based in “foreign hostile countries,” including China.
Passed and enacted by the state legislature House Bill 1120The bill would prohibit counties, cities, towns, and townships in the state from entering into cooperative agreements with “cities, towns, provinces, districts, schools, colleges, and universities located in foreign enemy countries,” including China. Contains clauses.according to it sentence And that Indiana Capital Chronicle. DCNF previously investigated nonprofits involved in “sister city” agreements in Indiana related to Chinese influence activities.
At least 20 such agreements currently exist between Chinese agencies and local governments and Indiana municipalities, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle. It’s unclear whether House Bill 1120 would apply retroactively to existing agreements, but supporters of the policy say it does. (Related: Gavin Newsom’s China visit sheds light on California’s partnership with ‘malign’ Chinese Communist Party influence operations)
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Exclusive: Nonprofit group ‘building bridges’ between China and US heartlands has deep ties to Communist Party influence networksStart here:https://t.co/bKQXshpUD7@DailyCaller @RepJimBanks @RepGallager @committeeonccp @inamitchellfilm @ushcaorg
1/15— Philip Lenchycki Cai Yue (@LenczyckiPhilip) February 21, 2024
“Sister city agreements are administered by the United Front, the foreign influence arm of the Chinese Communist Party, which Xi Jinping has called a “magic weapon” for “national rejuvenation.” “We’re here not to help Indiana, but to gain a foothold here,” Republican Indiana Rep. Jim Banks said of the policy in a statement. “I’m glad that state lawmakers are focused on removing Communist Party influence from our state, including bans on farmland purchases and cooperative agreements with our biggest enemies.”
Banks has previously sounded the alarm about the potential dangers of “sister city” agreements and other similar arrangements between local agencies in China and the United States, and in February told the Department of Justice (DOJ). It called for an investigation into the Missouri-based American Heartland China Association. (USHCA) Regarding possible violations of the Foreign Agent Registration Act. According to DCNF research, the USHCA has a stated mission to “build bridges and foster opportunities” between U.S. government officials and businesses in the Midwest states and China, but the It turned out that he had connections with a number of people with ties to the Front Work Department (UFWD). “”Chinese intelligence agency“I focused on running.”affect operation” said the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
USHCA’s Board of Directors and Strategic Advisory Team include several people who work for UFWD-related organizations and include Republican members of Congress. highlighted Past interactions with USHCA and UFWD groups. The organization helped arrange for numerous Midwest and Southern mayors to visit China in November 2023, which led to the conclusion of a sister city agreement between Carmel, Indiana, and Xiangyang, Hubei Province, China.
“I know that (agreement) is usually touted as a means of exchanging culture and goodwill. And while that may be true for most people, it’s also true that it’s a way of exchanging cultures and goodwill. “I think sister city agreements should be scrutinized a little more,” Indiana Representative Mitch Gore, a Democrat, told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. “This is a way for these countries to try to exert some soft power and influence American policymakers.”
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