Sens. Mitt Romney and Mike Lee want answers about alleged Chinese intelligence outposts in the United States, including one in Salt Lake City.
Following a report in the right-wing Daily Caller, Lee and Romney joined with eight of their Senate Republican colleagues in a letter expressing “grave concerns” about “Overseas Chinese Service Centers” housed by nonprofit organizations.
“According to this report, OCSCs are run by the Chinese Communist Party’s United Work Front Department, which the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission has identified as a ‘Chinese intelligence service’ in its annual report to Congress,” the letter reads.
In 2022, a Spanish group published a report that concluded China established more than 100 “overseas police stations” in several countries that could be used to harass or gather intelligence on opponents of the ruling Communist Party. China denies the stations are part of a covert intelligence operation, claiming their purpose is to assist Chinese citizens with tasks such as renewing driver’s licenses.
In April, two men were arrested for allegedly setting up an alleged secret police station in New York City.
The Daily Caller report identified seven alleged OCSC branches, including the Utah Chinese Civic Center. One of the organization’s directors is Taowen Le, who was at the center of a blockbuster Associated Press report about efforts by the Chinese government to influence Utah lawmakers. Le frequently forwarded communications from Chinese government officials to Utah lawmakers and set up meetings between state officials and the Chinese Embassy.
The letter from the 10 Senate Republicans questions whether the Department of Justice’s response to the facilities has been adequate, given how long the OCSC facilities have been operating in the U.S.
OCSCs have openly operated for several years, and their activities have been reportedly documented in Chinese state media and social media posts,” the letter reads. “The DOJ must ensure that our adversaries, such as the CCP, are not operating intelligence operations or engaging in repression on U.S. soil.”
The senators have requested the DOJ brief them or their staffers on the OCSCs by the end of the month.
