The Department of Energy (DOE) secretly met with members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to a letter written by Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso.
Barrasso argues in his book: letter Barrasso told Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm that DOE officials have met with Chinese Communist Party officials and businessmen at least four times since October 2023. characterized the meeting as a potential national security risk, given its apparent willingness to exploit scientists and intellectual property. , also highlighted the fact that the DOE did not publicize this meeting to the American public (previously reported only by Chinese media).
“We found that these meetings were more than just diplomatic protocol. In some cases, they showed that taxpayer-funded national laboratory research and development was being used for the benefit of Chinese state-owned enterprises and, by extension, the Chinese Communist Party. “It served as a forum for the public,” Barrasso wrote. “The fact that the Department of Energy engaged in such miscommunication is deeply disturbing, especially in light of the sustained and widespread theft of U.S. scientific and intellectual assets by the People's Republic of China. It is clear that they want these meetings to be shielded from scrutiny by the American public and covered only by Chinese media, raising serious concerns about the Department of Energy's transparency and extensive cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party. There is.” (Related: Exclusive: China Intel-related 'service centers' in US cities use cultural events to promote Communist Party propaganda)
Letter from Barrasso to DOE by nick pope On Scribd
On October 11, 2023, Stephanie Duran, head of the Department of Energy's China office, met with Sun Ying, president of a Chinese state-run construction technology company, in Beijing, Barrasso claims in the letter. Duran allegedly offered Sun Ying and her company, China Construction Technology Company (CCTC), support from some of the most advanced national laboratories in the United States.
Sun Ying, a “devout” member of the Chinese Communist Party, once told Chinese media that his company “thoroughly implements the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's key directives on independence and self-improvement in science and technology.” It is said that he spoke. Barrasso's letter.
Mr. Duran will “introduce the related work of the U.S. Department of Energy in energy policy formulation, energy industry management, and technology research and development, and support Lawrence Berkeley and other U.S. national laboratories to carry out technology exchanges and cooperation with China Construction. “We are a clean energy and carbon emission reduction technology company,” he said during the meeting, according to a Chinese-language press release issued by CCTC and translated by Barrasso's team.
And on October 16, 2023, Chao Ding — Scientist; DOE support According to Barrasso's letter, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory visited Zhengzhou University of Light Industry and provided input to the school regarding the construction and development of a new laboratory there. Wu Xuehong, the university's dean and Qiao Ding's tour guide, is a member of the Chinese Communist Party and a member of the university's United Front Work Department (UFWD), the Chinese Communist Party's organ that exercises Chinese intelligence and influence. is involved in the “support department” of
According to Barrasso's letter, then-Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Carbon Management Noah Dyck met with then-Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary Zhang Guangjun in Beijing on November 13, 2023. The two discussed “related scientific and technological issues.”
According to Barrasso's letter and reports, Zhang Guangjun is a member of the Chinese Communist Party and belongs to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a political advisory group that plays an important role in the Communist Party's “united front” activities. diplomat. Furthermore, Zhang Guangjun once served as vice president of a Chinese university, and he is known for obtaining American research results and attempting to apply that information to the military.
Barrasso's letter said that Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk also met with Chinese government officials via video on January 12 to establish the so-called “Working Group on Strengthening Climate Action in the 2020s.” The two groups agreed to “maintain close communication, exchange experiences, and deepen practical collaboration,” as outlined in an agreement negotiated by the State Department and reached in November 2023. did.
Mr. Barrasso asked the Department of Energy about all his official visits to China since President Joe Biden took office, the counterintelligence measures taken before and during his stay, and the informal and formal agreements reached on those visits. asked to provide details. Barrasso also asked the DOE to explain why the various meetings were not publicized in the U.S. media.
Barrasso ordered the DOE to submit a detailed response to the letter by March 18 at the latest.
“DOE is openly inviting the violation of research, development, and technical expertise funded by our nation's tax dollars,” Barrasso's letter concludes. “This is a risky gamble with the future of our economy and national security, and it must end immediately.”
The DOE and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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