East Michigan News

House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar has urged local officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Des Moines, Iowa, to reconsider their partnerships with organizations linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In letters sent to Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and Des Moines Mayor Connie Boesen, Moolenaar raised concerns about recent student trips to China funded by groups associated with the CCP.

According to Moolenaar, 31 students from 12 high schools in Montgomery County traveled to China in April through a program sponsored by the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE). While CEAIE presents itself as a nonprofit organization, Moolenaar stated that it is “explicitly guided by ‘Xi Jinping Thought’ and operates under direct CCP control.”

In Des Moines, members of the Roosevelt High School gospel choir “Bridges 2 Harmony” participated in an exchange organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) in July. The group required students to download WeChat, which Moolenaar described as “a CCP-controlled platform that censors political content and harvests personal data—raising serious concerns about surveillance and manipulation.”

Moolenaar emphasized that both CPAFFC and CEAIE have been identified by U.S. intelligence agencies as front groups for the CCP. He said these organizations are tasked with advancing Beijing’s United Front work, which aims to influence local leaders and reduce opposition to CCP policies.

“CPAFFC and similar organizations like CEAIE have been publicly identified by U.S. intelligence agencies as CCP front groups tasked with advancing Beijing’s United Front work, which seeks to co-opt local leaders and neutralize opposition to CCP policies,” Moolenaar wrote.

The full text of the letters sent to Marc Elrich and Connie Boesen is available online.

For further information, Jack Clem can be contacted at Jack.Clem@mail.house.gov.