East Michigan News

Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar has raised questions about LeBron James’ recent visit to China, marking the basketball star’s 15th trip to the country with Nike. Moolenaar referenced James’ 2019 comments, when James criticized basketball executive Daryl Morey for supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. At that time, James said, “I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand…so many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. So just be careful what we tweet and what we say, and what we do.”

Moolenaar responded by asking whether James had learned about various issues during his visits to China. “After more than a dozen trips to China, what has LeBron James learned about the Chinese Communist Party? Has he learned about its persecution of spiritual people of all faiths, including the genocide of Uyghur Muslims? Has he heard how the CCP actively subsidizes the chemicals used to make fentanyl, which has killed or otherwise harmed millions of Americans? Or about the financial harm done to his American fans through the CCP’s theft of intellectual property and predatory trade practices? I hope that as an Olympian he is at least aware of the corrupt World Anti-Doping Agency, which allowed Chinese swimmers to compete in the Olympics after they cheated and tested positive for steroids,” said Moolenaar.

Earlier this week, James spoke with People’s Daily newspaper in China and described basketball as “a bridge that connects us,” adding it is “super-humbling for me to come here.”

The Select Committee on China released a bipartisan report in May 2023 documenting human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province. The report estimated up to two million Uyghurs and other minorities have been detained in mass internment camps where they face political indoctrination, torture, forced labor, and other abuses.

In April 2024, another bipartisan committee report identified China as a central source of illicit fentanyl precursors fueling the global fentanyl trade.

In January 2025, Moolenaar joined Select Committee Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in introducing legislation aimed at holding the World Anti-Doping Agency accountable. The Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act would give U.S. authorities permanent power to withhold funding from WADA if it fails to ensure fair competition at Olympic and Paralympic Games without doping violations. This followed media reports indicating WADA permitted Chinese swimmers who tested positive for steroids to compete at the 2021 Olympics.