{"id":2265629,"date":"2024-06-12T03:47:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T07:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/indianas-gop-run-government-is-paying-a-contractor-for-pipeline-of-communist-chinese-businesses\/"},"modified":"2024-06-12T03:53:24","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T07:53:24","slug":"indianas-gop-run-government-is-paying-a-contractor-for-pipeline-of-communist-chinese-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/indianas-gop-run-government-is-paying-a-contractor-for-pipeline-of-communist-chinese-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"Indiana&#8217;s Republican Government Funds Contractor to Attract Chinese Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Findianas-gop-run-government-is-paying-a-contractor-for-pipeline-of-communist-chinese-businesses%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2265629&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The summary describes\u2062 the actions \u200dand\u2064 implications of Indiana&#8217;s\u2063 recent legislation and its relationship with China-owned companies. Indiana quickly passed House Bill \u200b1183, \u200cwhich restricts \u200bland \u2064sales\u2063 to entities from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-committee-votes-to-defund-wuhan-lab-gain-of-function-research-in-adversarial-countries\/\" title=\"House Committee Votes To Defund Wuhan Lab, Gain-Of-Function Research In Adversarial Countries\">adversarial countries<\/a> including China,\u2063 impacting a deal with the Chinese-owned company, Fufeng. \u200bThis legislation comes after Fufeng was considered \u200ca national security threat \u2062by the\u200c U.S. Air Force. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), despite not being elected, plays a significant role\u2064 in aiding China-based companies to establish\u200d in Indiana through\u200b centralized\u2063 planning, helped\u200b by the America \u2062China \u2064Society of\u200d Indiana (ACSI). ACSI has connections to the \u200cChinese Communist Party (CCP) \u2062and influences \u2062the state \u200bdecisions through various channels, potentially subjecting them to\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/9-key-points-from-trump-campaign-press-conference-on-challenges-to-election-results\/\" title=\"9 Key Points from Trump Campaign Press Conference on Challenges to Election Results\">foreign influence<\/a> that serves China&#8217;s\u2063 interests.\u200c The involvement \u2064of Governor Eric Holcomb and other interactions like \u200d&#8217;Mask\u2062 Diplacy&#8217;\u200b during the \u2063COVID-19 pandemic illustrates the complex, and sometimes\u200b contradictory, nature of\u200c international relations and \u2062state policies in dealing with foreign investments and influences.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>Indiana\u2019s speedy passage of <a href=\"https:\/\/legiscan.com\/IN\/bill\/HB1183\/2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">House Bill 1183<\/a> in March, prohibiting certain land sales to companies from China and other adversarial countries, has halted a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/13\/indiana-agency-violates-transparency-law-while-making-deals-with-communist-china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pending<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ca-governor-breaks-his-own-covid-rules-to-eat-fancy-french-food\/\" title=\"Ca. Governor Breaks His Own COVID Rules To Eat Fancy French Food\">real estate<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/08\/indianas-gop-run-government-working-on-11-land-deals-with-chinese-communist-businesses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">deal<\/a> with the China-owned company Fufeng, according to LaPorte County Assessor records. Fufeng was looking for real estate in Indiana after being booted out of Grand Forks, North Dakota, following a U.S. Air Force <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kfyrtv.com\/2023\/01\/31\/hoeven-cramer-air-force-provides-official-position-fufeng-project-grand-forks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">memo<\/a> that called it a \u201csignificant threat to national security.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fufeng managed to <a href=\"https:\/\/hpr1.com\/index.php\/feature\/news\/fufeng-corn-processing-plant-falls-through-but-citizens-still-angry-in-gran\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">implant itself<\/a> in North Dakota with a land purchase before being tarred and feathered out of the state. Fortunately, it was legislated <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/08\/indianas-gop-run-government-working-on-11-land-deals-with-chinese-communist-businesses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">out<\/a> of Indiana \u2014 for now.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1730655546\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-4633069850c743061d938e95f80edb98 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-4633069850c743061d938e95f80edb98\"><\/div>\n<p>Fufeng\u2019s short-lived appearance in Indiana was a smoking gun. What else is going on? The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), an unelected upgrade to the traditional commerce department, helps select and develop businesses in Indiana. The IEDC has set up many China-owned companies in the state, including 25 currently operational, according to the IEDC general counsel.<\/p>\n<p>The trend of China-based companies in Indiana has not developed organically but through centralized planning with the help of a Chinese Communist Party-linked nonprofit. A contract on the IEDC\u2019s website shows that it has been <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.in.gov\/apps\/iedc\/transparencyportal\/professionalservicecontract\/view\/926a210f085e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paying<\/a> the America China Society of Indiana (ACSI) to facilitate deals with China-owned businesses. The contract outlines IEDC\u2019s interest in \u201cidentifying and creating a pipeline of [foreign direct investment] prospects in China\u201d and preparing trip itineraries, among other tasks.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>A state contract to fill a requested \u201cpipeline\u201d of China-owned businesses wishing to engage in foreign direct investment, including the purchase of U.S. land, is concerning. The 2017 National Intelligence Law of the People\u2019s Republic of China <a href=\"https:\/\/cs.brown.edu\/courses\/csci1800\/sources\/2017_PRC_NationalIntelligenceLaw.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">directs<\/a> that \u201cany organization or citizen shall support, assist, and cooperate with the state intelligence work\u201d and \u201cstate intelligence work institutions shall collect and handle the acts or acts of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mandatory-mao-zedong-military-classes-at-uk-uni-course-collab-with-chinese-army-tied-school\/\" title=\"Mandatory Mao Zedong, Military Classes at UK Uni Course Collab with Chinese Army-Tied School\">foreign institutions<\/a>, organizations, and individuals\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other words, China-owned companies operating in the United States are expected to collect intelligence on the United States. Further, <a href=\"https:\/\/eastasiaforum.org\/2023\/08\/11\/ccp-branches-out-into-private-businesses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">most<\/a> large Chinese companies, especially those allowed to expand into the United States, <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2024\/04\/05\/exclusive-exec-at-us-battery-manufacturer-pictured-at-chinese-communist-party-meetings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">have<\/a> CCP members or even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-exploits-lobbying-loophole-to-dodge-disclosure\/\" title=\"China Exploits Lobbying Loophole to Dodge Disclosure\">party committees<\/a> within them ensuring loyalty to the CCP\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-662054e7a51dc8648b62a3f2685a768f fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-662054e7a51dc8648b62a3f2685a768f\"><\/div>\n<p>Beyond the concerns with Chinese companies taking root in the United States, an organization such as ACSI introduces additional issues when attached to state-level government. ACSI has implemented a series of influence operations and public relations events that may have compromised state decision-making through pressure, gain, or both.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>You Will Know Them by Their Fruits<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>ACSI\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/americachinasociety.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Year-in-Review-2018.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2018<\/a> board of directors paints a picture of the IEDC\u2019s exposure to CCP influence.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A member of the IEDC is on the board, guaranteeing that the IEDC is not only aware of, but actively has influence in, ACSI\u2019s activities.<\/li>\n<li>Westfield Outdoors is one of the China-owned businesses that ACSI brought in as part of the \u201cpipeline.\u201d Westfield Outdoors, along with other China-owned businesses, is one of ACSI\u2019s member sponsors, which in turn influence businesses ACSI recommends to Indiana.<\/li>\n<li>Dr. Zao (Joe) Xu, <a href=\"https:\/\/chancellor.iupui.edu\/campus-leadership\/honors-and-awards\/chancellors-medallion\/xu.html#:~:text=Zao%20Cheng%20Xu-,Dr.,Medallion%20from%20Chancellor%20Nasser%20H.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">founder<\/a> of the Confucius Institute at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, was on the ACSI board until 2018. The U.S. government <a href=\"https:\/\/crsreports.congress.gov\/product\/pdf\/IF\/IF11180\/9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">defunded<\/a> Confucius Institutes (CI) following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscc.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-03\/Ian_Oxnevad_Statement_for_the_Record.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expert testimony<\/a> identifying CI as part of a CCP influence operation. The Confucius Institute at IUPUI closed in 2019 along with <a href=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com\/2023\/11\/the-rise-and-fall-of-confucius-institutes-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nearly all<\/a> others in the United States.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>A board that convenes Indiana government representatives alongside CCP-linked influence operators and oversees a society whose members include China-owned businesses with an intel-gathering mission is a recipe for compromised decision-making.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Deepening<\/h2>\n<p>In 2019, Indiana Governor and IEDC Board Chairman Eric Holcomb <a href=\"https:\/\/events.in.gov\/event\/iedc-governor-holcomb-to-foster-international-business-relationships-in-china-india\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">took<\/a> a <a href=\"https:\/\/americachinasociety.org\/category\/news\/page\/3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">trip<\/a> to China likely <a href=\"https:\/\/americachinasociety.org\/strategic-partners\/indiana-economic-development-corporation-iedc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arranged<\/a> by ACSI \u201cto renew the Indiana-Zhejiang sister-state relationship\u201d established back in 1987. The Indiana legislature has since banned sister-city agreements <a href=\"https:\/\/indianacapitalchronicle.com\/2024\/03\/18\/indiana-bans-sister-city-agreements-with-foreign-adversaries\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">with<\/a> China, so Holcomb had to sign a bill that deeply criticizes the same kind of agreement he celebrated just five years ago.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-55d7e21ee03a0141de986b7eb48c32e9 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-55d7e21ee03a0141de986b7eb48c32e9\"><\/div>\n<p>During that trip, Holcomb visited with the president of the China People\u2019s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chinese_People%27s_Association_for_Friendship_with_Foreign_Countries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">known as<\/a> the \u201c\u2018public face\u2019 of the CCP\u2019s United Front Work Department.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><\/figure>\n<p>In contrast to ACSI\u2019s description of CPAFFC as \u201cfocused on deepening international friendships,\u201d the CPAFFC\u2019s mission in its own words is \u201cto make the foreign serve China.\u201d This stunning whitewashing is readily available on Wikipedia.<\/p>\n<p>Why did Indiana\u2019s governor meet with the leader of the part of the CCP\u2019s influence operation concerned with making other countries serve China? ACSI would have added the CPAFFC stop to the itinerary as part of its role arranging IEDC\u2019s China-bound trips, at the direction of the CCP. It is possible that Holcomb thought he was innocently \u201cdeepened\u201d by a nice lady with a panda plate. But from the CPAFFC\u2019s and CCP\u2019s point of view, he declared his subservience.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018Mask Diplomacy\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>During early Covid days, China <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/03\/13\/business\/masks-china-coronavirus.html?smid=url-share\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hoarded masks<\/a> while companies like MyPillow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/452535\/safer-and-stronger-than-ever-mypillow-founder-says-company-to-make-50000-masks-a-day-to-fight-coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">diverted<\/a> production to manufacturing masks for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/mypillow-ceo-mike-lindell-lost-7-million-covid-19-masks-2021-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">donation<\/a>. Then China decided it was time to share. ACSI worked diligently to ensure Indiana participated in the geopolitical phenomenon later <a href=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com\/2020\/03\/chinas-mask-diplomacy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">coined<\/a> \u201cMask Diplomacy.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Mask diplomacy, the CCP\u2019s effort to look generous and deflect suspicions that Covid came <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/covid-lab-leak-wuhan-china-science-6561e782\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">from<\/a> the Wuhan Lab, involved distributing small quantities of masks for a photo op. Indiana was among the favored states and countries to receive the honor of free masks, per the July 2020 <a href=\"https:\/\/americachinasociety.org\/category\/news\/page\/2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">news<\/a> story on ACSI\u2019s website.<\/p>\n<p>In reality, this publicity stunt was a favor the CCP called in, likely among those trusted partners who have pledged allegiance to the CCP\u2019s head of foreign submission (the CPAFFC) and could be counted on to promote this effort.\u00a0With both the general public and the carefully selected recipients, the self-serving \u201cfavor\u201d was an investment that would be expected to produce a return.<\/p>\n<p>To the recipients, it was likely a nuisance. In context, 100,000 masks is a very small number. The IEDC reported in 2020 with macabre glee that it took fiduciary charge of spending $49 million on 27 million <a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4indy.com\/news\/coronavirus\/indiana-spent-200-million-on-ppe-in-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">masks<\/a> for the state, the smallest order of which was 1 million masks. The Chinese gift came with a very detailed <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.in.gov\/apps\/iedc\/transparencyportal\/viewtaxgrantloancontract\/66544e900196ea11a811001dd8309ca7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">receipt<\/a> \u2014 the only mention of this event on IEDC\u2019s website:<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The IEDC likely had little \u201cdesire\u201d for such a small quantity of masks, other than to satisfy the CCP\u2019s desire to give masks and take credit. But in doing so, the state of Indiana (through its contractor ACSI) accepted a public gift from the Zhejiang Provincial Government of the CCP with an approximate value of nearly $200,000. What are the odds that the CCP would parlay that \u201cfavor\u201d into a return gesture?<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Far-Flung Fufeng<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>These are some of the more interesting elements within a long pattern of CCP-linked business development activities, advertised little if at all by the IEDC. It may also explain why the IEDC <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/08\/indianas-gop-run-government-working-on-11-land-deals-with-chinese-communist-businesses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accepted<\/a> the disgraced Fufeng earlier this year after its Department of Defense-directed expulsion from North Dakota.<\/p>\n<p>Will the IEDC cancel its contract with ACSI for a \u201cpipeline\u201d of China-based companies in light of the HB 1183 restrictions? Do other states have similarly low-profile links to the CCP buried deep within unelected departments? The nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/04\/03\/state-laws-china-land-buying-00150030\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">two-thirds<\/a> of all U.S. states currently advancing anti-China bills similar to HB 1183 may be doing so at odds with influence operations hidden within their own governments.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-318aaab86dbe5e0785f322dce48d14a3 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-318aaab86dbe5e0785f322dce48d14a3\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Indiana quickly passed House Bill 1183 in March, banning land sales to firms from China and other hostile nations. This law stopped a real estate deal involving Chinese-owned Fufeng, as per LaPorte County Assessor records. Fufeng sought Indiana property after being expelled from Grand Forks, North Dakota<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2855,"featured_media":2265630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Copy-of-Untitled-6.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2265629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Copy-of-Untitled-6.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2265629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2855"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2265629"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2265629\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2265630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2265629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2265629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2265629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}