More than 100 times in recent years, law enforcement agencies have dealt with Chinese nationals who appear to be attempting to access sensitive U.S. military sites by “gate-crashing.” According to law enforcement, many of these incidents begin with an individual claiming to be following GPS or seeking a hotel that is located on a base. In some cases, the individuals have actually attempted to drive through security checkpoints to access bases.
These recent reports of potential espionage are changing the view that China is actively attempting to infiltrate the U.S. government from a fringe conspiracy theory into a matter of serious national security. In 2019, two Chinese diplomats were secretly expelled from the U.S. on suspicion of espionage after attempting to drive onto a military base with their wives.
In May 2023, U.S. House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY) released a report that shows how Chinese nationals have used limited liability companies to funnel money from the Chinese Communist Party to the Biden family. Bank records show that Biden family members set up dozens of bank accounts during President Joe Biden’s time as vice president. Comer is pushing Republicans to open an impeachment inquiry against Biden as a result of his committee’s findings.
🚨Evidence continues to support an impeachment inquiry.
My role as Chairman of @GOPoversight is to provide the evidence. An overwhelming amount now shows @POTUS participated in his family's influence peddling schemes. The American people deserve accountability. @jsolomonReports pic.twitter.com/l6pI0G0GTQ
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) September 1, 2023
The money and influence directed at the White House show that China has taken bold steps to increase its influence on American politics. Records show that the Bidens, along with their associates, received more than $10 million from foreign sources with little evidence of the reason for the payments. Further, Hunter Biden received money directly from China while Biden was vice president. This has raised alarm over “pay-to-play” schemes believed to be ongoing at the highest levels of the U.S. government.
In addition to the reports of attempted infiltration of bases, several Chinese billionaires have purchased massive tracts of land in the U.S., often located near sensitive military bases. One such project claimed to be for the purpose of building a grain mill about 12 miles from Grand Forks Air Force Base. The base is a key installation for the U.S. Military’s unmanned aerial reconnaissance program. The buyer of the acreage was a former officer in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
Gate breaching efforts are believed by U.S. officials to be espionage-related testing of military security and procedure rather than attempts to access sensitive sights. So far, no Chinese national has been charged with espionage in the U.S. and the two diplomats expelled in 2019 were the first in more than 30 years, however, two U.S. Navy sailors were arrested on charges of selling sensitive military information to China in August 2023.
