Major American Firm Raided By Police In China, Had Phones And Computers Taken

Chinese Authorities Raid Offices of American Companies

Chinese authorities have recently raided the offices of Bain and Company in Shanghai, marking the second such crackdown against an American company with operations in the communist nation. The police questioned employees of the management consulting firm and confiscated a number of computers and phones. This incident came weeks after officers detained five staff members from the Beijing offices of American corporate due diligence firm Mintz Group. The company said that authorities shuttered operations for the business in China, and the five detained employees were all Chinese nationals.

Foreign Investments in China

Despite these incidents, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other senior officials have broadly welcomed foreign investments as the nation’s economy recovers from some of the most aggressive government lockdown mandates in the world. The gross domestic product of China has expanded at an average of 9% since the country opened and reformed its economy more than four decades ago, enabling more than 800 million residents to escape poverty. The nation’s economy grew 4.5% year-over-year between the first quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023.

Heightened Tensions

The raids also occur as tensions between the United States and China heighten over several recent espionage efforts from the rising communist power. The White House investigated Chinese telecommunications company Huawei last year over concerns that American cell towers using the company’s devices were transmitting data on military bases and missile silos to Chinese government actors. Worries over espionage have prompted state lawmakers to restrict the capacity of Chinese entities to hold land near military installations.

Get the Daily Wire App

CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP

Foreign Ownership of Land in the United States

Chinese entities own slightly less than 1% of acres held by foreigners in the United States, according to a report from the Department of Agriculture. Canadian entities meanwhile own 32% of agricultural and non-agricultural land held by foreigners while citizens of other allies, such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, represent 31% of land held by foreigners.