by PHILIP LENCZYCKI at dailycaller.com
California Democratic Rep. Judy Chu is listed as the “co-chair” of an organization that includes several members with ties to alleged Chinese Communist Party (CCP) overseas influence operations, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation found.
In 2014, Chu, who the DCNF previously discovered was listed as a member of two other nonprofits with apparent ties to Chinese intelligence, joined the “International Federation of Chamber of Commerce [sic]” (IFCC), an organization that shares a website and personnel with the California-based 501(c)(6) nonprofit U.S.-Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (UCCC), according to UCCC’s website and images from IFCC’s launch. Chu is currently listed as “co-chair” on UCCC’s website. By its own admission, UCCC and IFCC have cooperated with Chinese government agencies and CCP bureaus that the U.S. government has identified as influence operations, and since 2014, at least six of their leaders have variously served as members of the CCP, the Chinese government and/or alleged Chinese intelligence front groups.
The DCNF located Chu’s Chinese name, Zhao Meixin, within a New York Times article and matched it with photos and records on UCCC’s website in order to determine the congresswoman’s affiliation with IFCC. Chu, UCCC and IFCC did not respond to multiple requests for comment over the course of ten days.
The DCNF previously revealed Rep. Chu accepted honorary positions at both the All America Chinese Youth Federation and the Forums for Peaceful Reunification of China, two California-based organizations with CCP ties. Despite photographic evidence of the congresswoman accepting letters of appointment from the groups’ leaders, in a Feb. 14 statement, Chu denied any affiliation, and suggested that the groups used her name without permission. Chu repeated the denial in a Feb. 24 Washington Post article, where she and other House Democrats blamed “anti-Asian racism” for the reporting.
In much the same way, photos found on UCCC’s website show Rep. Chu accepting a framed “Letter Of Appointment” from the group while on stage during the launch of its IFCC subchapter on December 18, 2014 at the Pacific Palms Conference Resort in California’s City of Industry.
The DCNF previously revealed Rep. Chu accepted honorary positions at both the All America Chinese Youth Federation and the Forums for Peaceful Reunification of China, two California-based organizations with CCP ties. Despite photographic evidence of the congresswoman accepting letters of appointment from the groups’ leaders, in a Feb. 14 statement, Chu denied any affiliation, and suggested that the groups used her name without permission. Chu repeated the denial in a Feb. 24 Washington Post article, where she and other House Democrats blamed “anti-Asian racism” for the reporting.
In much the same way, photos found on UCCC’s website show Rep. Chu accepting a framed “Letter Of Appointment” from the group while on stage during the launch of its IFCC subchapter on December 18, 2014 at the Pacific Palms Conference Resort in California’s City of Industry.
One such event featured a Chinese government “propaganda film” that, in part, promoted local police, according to Chinese government and news reports.
UCCC has also hosted events featuring Chinese agencies accused by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission and others of conducting foreign intelligence work for the CCP. These agencies include the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the United Front Work Department (UFWD). The non-profit’s website features several photographs of these events.