Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spying in the United States “expanded rapidly” under the Biden-Harris administration’s watch, according to a congressional report released Thursday.
Published by the House Homeland Security Committee’s House Committee On Homeland Security’s Subcommittee On Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, And Intelligence, the assessment details how cases of “CCP-related espionage and acts of transnational repression” have significantly increased since President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office. The analysis was first reported by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
“Beijing has continually encroached upon American sovereignty to spy, intimidate, and harass not only defectors, but even American citizens,” Committee Chair and Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn. said in a statement. “It is important we remain clear-eyed about the threat the CCP poses to the security of the American people so we are prepared to counter its malign influence at every turn.”
According to the report, there have been more than 55 “CCP-related espionage cases in 20 states” from January 2021-October 2024. These have included incidents related to “transmission of sensitive military information to [the People’s Republic of China] PRC,” “stealing of trade secrets to benefit the PRC,” “transnational repression schemes to target PRC dissidents,” and “obstruction of justice.”
As The Federalist previously reported, there have been numerous cases throughout the past year alone in which foreign nationals have attempted to breach U.S. military installations. In March, officials apprehended a Chinese male who was reportedly attempting to gain access to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, California.
Thursday’s analysis highlights several incidents involving Chinese nationals and conspirators charged (and convicted) by the U.S. government for espionage-related activities. Among those mentioned is the January 2023 case of Ji Chaoqun, who, according to the report, “was sentenced to eight years in prison for acting illegally as an agent of the PRC in the U.S.”
“Evidence showed that Chaoqun worked at the direction of high-intelligence officers in the Ministry of State Security for the PRC with tasks related to recruiting scientists and engineers working in America in order to obtain access to advanced aerospace and satellite technologies being developed by companies within the U.S.,” the assessment reads.
Thursday’s report comes amid growing concerns among lawmakers about the influx of Chinese nationals trespassing the U.S.-Mexico border under the Biden-Harris administration. The House Homeland Security Committee separately noted that “[i]n FY24 alone, Border Patrol agents have recorded more than 36,000 apprehensions of Chinese nationals—more than all those recorded from FY07-20 combined.”