The St. Louis Post-Dispatch published an extensive editorial by Thor Hearne urging Congress to pass legislation prohibiting Chinses companies, which are controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, from abusing U.S. tax credits, that were intended to promote domestic clean energy production, to establish sites near U.S. military installations.

Hearne’s editorial, published February 29, is available at: https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/column/opinion-u-s-taxpayers-shouldnt-subsidize-the-chinese-communist-party/article_4c38ea0a-d4ee-11ee-a839-173228e7232e.html <https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/column/opinion-u-s-taxpayers-shouldnt-subsidize-the-chinese-communist-party/article_4c38ea0a-d4ee-11ee-a839-173228e7232e.html>

Hearne points out that a Chinese company is currently seeking to build a battery plant near two military bases in Missouri, Fort Leavenworth and Whiteman Air Force Base.  The proliferation of Chinese battery-factory sites raises both national security and economic concerns because, as Hearne explains, “the CCP requires every Chinese company to cooperate with the CCP’s Ministry of Public Security and State Security.  China law requires Chinese businesses (such as TikTok) and companies with facilities in the United States to support and cooperate with Chinese intelligence operations.”

Hearne adds, “former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta…testified recently before Congress that these Communist China-affiliated facilities would operate as centers for Chinese espionage….”  These centers of espionage would represent “a more serious threat than external surveillance methods such as the Chinese spy balloon that flew over Missouri last year.”

This is a problem Congress should address, Hearne argues.  “American taxpayers should not be funding or subsidizing our enemies.”

Thor Hearne is the Founding Partner of True North Law LLC and formerly served as President George W. Bush’s national election counsel.