{"id":2421209,"date":"2025-04-08T13:19:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T17:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-rep-introduces-bill-after-discovering-chinese-communist-owned-stores-on-us-military-base\/"},"modified":"2025-04-08T13:23:09","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T17:23:09","slug":"gop-rep-introduces-bill-after-discovering-chinese-communist-owned-stores-on-us-military-base","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-rep-introduces-bill-after-discovering-chinese-communist-owned-stores-on-us-military-base\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP Rep Introduces Bill After Discovering Chinese Communist-Owned Stores on US Military Base"},"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\">26<\/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%2Fgop-rep-introduces-bill-after-discovering-chinese-communist-owned-stores-on-us-military-base%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=2421209&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>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/actor-jon-voight-says-hes-disappointed-by-daughter-angelina-jolies-pro-palestine-posts\/\" title=\"Jon Voight disappointed by Angelina Jolie&#039;s pro-Palestine posts.\">recent social media video<\/a>,republican Rep. Pat Harrigan from North Carolina highlighted the presence of four GNC stores at Fort Bragg, which he identified as owned by the Chinese Communist Party through its acquisition of GNC by Harbin Pharmaceutical Group in 2020. Harrigan&#8217;s tour was accompanied by the introduction of his legislation, the Military Installation Retail Security Act of 2025, aimed at tightening security around military bases. He expressed strong concerns about CCP involvement near U.S. military personnel, emphasizing that &#8220;the Chinese Communist Party has no business anywhere near our warfighters.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The discussion surrounding the GNC stores has drawn notable attention, notably from other legislators like Rep. Ben Cline, who labeled the situation a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rep-mccaul-on-afghan-interpreters-left-behind-executions-are-taking-place-retaliation-has-been-severe\/\" title=\".... McCaul On Afghan Interpreters Left Behind: \u2018Executions Are Taking Place,\u2019 \u2018Retaliation Has Been Severe\u2019\">major national security threat<\/a>,&#8221; given the potential risks to American data security. Despite these claims, GNC&#8217;s representatives have insisted that U.S.-based management and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">strict security measures prevent<\/a> any threat related to data privacy. This incident underscores a broader unease regarding foreign ownership of U.S. companies, particularly those on military installations, and raises questions about balancing foreign investment with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blackburn-introduces-amendments-to-counter-china-and-iran\/\" title=\"Blackburn Introduces Amendments to Counter China and Iran\">national security concerns<\/a>.  <\/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\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes the mantra grows exhausting, and the conclusion that flows from it appears to conflict with other objectives.<\/p>\n<p>Still, this one seems pretty cut and dried.<\/p>\n<p>In a 45-second clip posted Sunday to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-new-acting-attorney-general-jeff-rosen-recently-wrote-an-essay-on-foreign-influence-in-us-elections-this-tells-us-a-little-about-his-knowledge-of-whats-going-on-today\/\" title=\"The New Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen Recently Wrote an Essay on Foreign Influence in US Elections \u2013 This Tells Us A Little About His Knowledge of What\u2019s Going On Today\">social media platform<\/a> X, Republican Rep. Pat Harrigan of North Carolina, who last week introduced legislation designed to tighten security on military installations, took viewers on a short-and-spliced video tour of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he identified four retail stores owned by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-gun-control-activist-david-hogg-torched-ccp-survivor-go-china-see-gun-control-works\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chinese Communist Party<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The retail stores in question belong to a company with which readers might have some familiarity &mdash; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gnc.com\/around-the-world.html#:~:text=Worldwide.,learn%20how%20to%20Live%20Well.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GNC<\/a>, which sells vitamins, protein, supplements, and other health-related products geared toward fitness-conscious customers. The company has more than 4,000 retail locations domestically and more than 2,000 abroad.<\/p>\n<p>According to the military news-focused website <a href=\"https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/bill-congress-gnc-ban\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Task &amp; Purpose<\/a>, GNC started as a family-owned store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the Great Depression. A company spokesperson told the outlet that the Chinese firm Harbin Pharmaceutical Group purchased GNC out of bankruptcy in 2020.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Of course, in a general sense, the relationship between Chinese businesses and the Chinese Communist government seems rather opaque. On one hand, China&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/bigdatachina.csis.org\/can-chinese-firms-be-truly-private\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">private sector has grown<\/a> in recent decades. On the other hand, state-owned and mixed-ownership businesses in China <a href=\"https:\/\/www.piie.com\/research\/piie-charts\/2024\/chinas-private-sector-has-lost-ground-state-sector-has-gained--among\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">accounted for 67 percent<\/a> of market capitalization in that country, which the Communist Party has ruled with an iron fist since 1949.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, U.S. elected officials have already examined the relationship between China and GNC and have found cause for alarm.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, for instance, Republican Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/secretary-state-rubio-lays-law-reporter-asks-activist-students-visa-revoked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Marco Rubio<\/a> of Florida, now Secretary of State under President Donald Trump, asked for a security review of Harbin while its purchase of GNC remained pending, per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/rubio-seeks-security-review-of-chinese-bid-for-gnc-11599775144\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Wall Street Journal<\/a>. Rubio feared that the acquisition could compromise Americans&rsquo; personal data.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The acquisition of a major health and nutrition chain with over 5,200 retail stores in the United States and an expansive customer base presents the opportunity for state-directed actors to purchase this information legally,&rdquo; Rubio said at the time.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, Harrigan&rsquo;s bill and video undoubtedly struck many national security-conscious officials as products of a legitimate cause for concern.<\/p>\n<p>On April 1, Harrigan introduced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/house-bill\/2551\/text\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">H.R. 2551<\/a>, the Military Installation Retail Security Act of 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Then, in Sunday&rsquo;s video, he showed viewers the locations of four GNC stores at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/just-ft-bragg-officially-back-hegseth-kicks-george-floyd-renaming-curb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fort Bragg<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If I have anything to say about this, and I do, they&rsquo;re not gonna be here for long,&rdquo; Harrigan said.<\/p>\n<p>The congressman amplified that promise in a corresponding post.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Chinese Communist Party has no business anywhere near our warfighters!&rdquo; Harrigan wrote.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">I went to Fort Bragg, the heart of our Special Operations Forces, and found not one, not two, not three&hellip; but FOUR CCP-owned GNCs operating on base.<\/p>\n<p>The Chinese Communist Party has no business anywhere near our warfighters! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Q5ZEs3drMg\">pic.twitter.com\/Q5ZEs3drMg<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Congressman Pat Harrigan (@RepPatHarrigan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepPatHarrigan\/status\/1908890127482433562?\">April 6, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>As of Tuesday morning, the congressman&rsquo;s video had more than two million views on X.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, the question of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/gop-congressman-sounds-alarm-little-known-us-citizenship-loophole-exploited-chinese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chinese<\/a> companies on U.S. military installations attracted great interest. And that included attention from one of Harrigan&rsquo;s colleagues, Republican Rep. Ben Cline of Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is a MAJOR national security threat,&rdquo; Cline wrote as part of a lengthier post.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">This is a MAJOR national security threat: GNC, owned by the Chinese state-run Harbin Pharmaceuticals, operates 85 locations on U.S. military bases&mdash;including 7 in Virginia. They&rsquo;re trying to hide their ties to China by failing to disclose ownership on <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6xrcB6svkS\">https:\/\/t.co\/6xrcB6svkS<\/a>. We&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gtIr1EPdRH\">https:\/\/t.co\/gtIr1EPdRH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Congressman Ben Cline (@RepBenCline) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepBenCline\/status\/1909379721907069226?\">April 7, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, GNC spokesman Nick Sero denied that any such threat existed.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are run by a U.S.-based leadership team and are governed by strict U.S. security protocols. Customer data is protected by third-party controls approved by the Department of Defense, and no data is d with or accessible to our parent company,&rdquo; Sero told Task &amp; Purpose.<\/p>\n<p>So what should readers make of all this?<\/p>\n<p>Well, in a general sense, the never-ending &ldquo;national security&rdquo; mantra has grown tiresome. Any paranoid or bloodthirsty rogue official can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/usaid-orders-staffers-shred-burn-documents-gone-rogue-normal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cause endless trouble<\/a> around the world simply by crying &ldquo;national security.&rdquo; Those rogues and their allies in the establishment media and elsewhere have spent decades priming Americans for exactly that.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, we already have a legitimate objective of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/big-economic-win-trump-secures-foreign-investment-dwarfs-biden-bragged\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">inviting foreign investors<\/a> while hoping to stave off foreign influence or infiltration. One welcomes the investment, but no serious Trump supporter likes the idea of rival or hostile foreigners purchasing American companies.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, in the case of GNC and Fort Bragg, it would appear that we have the worst of both worlds. A longtime American-owned company, recently sold to China, strikes one as a symbol of the globalist war on America&rsquo;s working class. And its appearance at U.S. military installations seems like something that people interested in protecting their borders would want to avoid.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sometimes the repetitive nature of this issue can be tiring, and the resulting conclusions may seem at odds with other goals. However, this situation appears quite straightforward. In a brief 45-second video shared on Sunday via the social media platform X, Republican Rep. Pat Harrigan from North Carolina showcased a quick tour of Fort Bragg, where he pointed out four retail stores owned by the Chinese Communist Party. These stores are part of GNC, a well-known company that sells vitamins and health products and has over 4,000 locations in the U.S. and more than 2,000 internationally. GNC originated as a family business in Pittsburgh during the Great Depression but was acquired by Harbin Pharmaceutical Group from China after filing for bankruptcy in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>The relationship between Chinese businesses and their government is often unclear; while China&#8217;s private sector has expanded recently, state-owned enterprises still dominate much of its market. U.S. officials have previously raised concerns about GNC&#8217;s ownership; for example, in 2020 Senator Marco Rubio requested a security review regarding Harbin&#8217;s acquisition due to fears it could jeopardize American consumer data.<\/p>\n<p>Harrigan\u2019s recent bill and video likely resonated with those concerned about national security issues. He introduced H.R. 2551\u2014the Military Installation Retail Security Act of 2025\u2014and highlighted four GNC locations at Fort Bragg in his video while asserting that they should not remain there long due to their ties to China.<\/p>\n<p>As of Tuesday morning, Harrigan\u2019s video had garnered over two million views on X, indicating significant public interest in foreign companies operating on U.S. military bases\u2014a concern echoed by fellow Republican Rep. Ben Cline who labeled it a major national security threat.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to these claims, GNC spokesperson Nick Sero insisted that there is no threat posed by their operations since they are managed by an American leadership team adhering to strict U.S.-based security protocols.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, while discussions around &#8220;national security&#8221; can sometimes feel excessive or misused for various agendas\u2014especially given America&#8217;s complex relationship with foreign investment\u2014many Americans remain wary about foreign entities owning domestic companies like GNC that operate near military installations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2421210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Chinese-Company.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3895,53066,6203,37318,50611],"class_list":["post-2421209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-bill","tag-chinese-communist","tag-gop","tag-military-base","tag-national-security-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Chinese-Company.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2421209","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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2421209"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2421209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2421217,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2421209\/revisions\/2421217"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2421210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2421209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2421209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2421209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}