Connor Fiddler
Christine Fang was in her twenties when the Chinese government sent her to enroll in a San Francisco area college. Fang wasted no time and spent years ingratiating herself with local officials. According to the Axios article that broke the story, “through campaign fundraising, extensive networking, personal charisma, and romantic or sexual relationships with at least two Midwestern mayors, Fang was able to gain proximity to political power.” She was able to grow particularly close to the political networks of Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). After the FBI caught on to the operation, Fang suddenly disappeared, presumably back to China. U.S. officials claim that her mission was to gather political intelligence and influence rising politicians.
Christine Fang’s case is just one example of how China uses foreign influence operations (FIO) to compromise and subvert American democracy. Experts, government officials, and law enforcement officers constantly raise concerns about U.S. vulnerability to FIO, with little response to date. The U.S. government must have a comprehensive strategy to address this threat. To counter Chinese FIO, the U.S. government should release an annual unclassified report on FIO, create a division within the FBI dedicated to investigating FIO, and assist allies and partners in countering FIO within their own countries.
China’s United Front Work Department (UFWD), described by Xi Jinping as China’s “magic weapon,” is at the heart of China’s actions. Through the UFWD, American schools, businesses, politicians, and civil society institutions become unknowingly susceptible to Beijing’s malign hand. As FBI Director Chris Wray stated, China uses “subversive, undeclared, criminal, or coercive attempts to sway our government’s policies, distort our country’s public discourse, and undermine confidence in our democratic processes and values.”
Only recently has the U.S. government started to dedicate more resources to countering FIO. However, the response has been insufficient. The U.S. should put as much energy into opposing FIO as China puts in conducting FIO.
First, Congress should pass a bill requiring the executive branch to release a yearly unclassified report on Chinese FIO in the United States. FIO penetrates the whole of society, and the government is limited in its ability to counter it on its own. An annual report of this magnitude empowers companies, colleges, and local officials to understand the nature of the threat and take measures to mitigate it.
Second, the FBI should create a division dedicated to investigating FIO. Currently, the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force focuses on election security, and its China unit is small and insufficient. A new division can bring new vigor to the enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act and Foreign Missions Act, which currently relies on “voluntary compliance.” The FBI needs the appropriate resources and apparatus to protect American national security.
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