A bipartisan House delegation, led by Republican Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher, began a series of meetings on Friday with top British officials focused on combating Chinese expansion across several fronts.
Seven Republicans and three Democrats, including five members of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, made the trip across the Atlantic. They are meeting with several members of British parliament, including Defense Minister Ben Wallace, according to a trip itinerary reviewed by the Daily Caller. The delegation will address Chinese trade practices and technology theft, as well as international spying operations.
HAPPENING NOW: Select Committee members in London meet with @UKParliament.
“I look forward to working with my friends in Parliament and the Government to build upon our special relationship and fight CCP aggression and malign influence across the globe.” -Chairman @RepGallagher pic.twitter.com/UVkupjvaEC
— The Select Committee on the CCP (@committeeonccp) May 19, 2023
The U.S., U.K., and Australia formed the AUKUS partnership in 2021 to better combat Chinese military aggression. As part of the partnership, the U.S. and U.K. are helping Australia build nuclear-powered submarines, and President Joe Biden announced in March that the U.S. would sell more submarines to Australia. (RELATED: Biden To Sell Nuclear Submarines To Australia In Anti-China Push)
The bipartisan delegation will address overseas Chinese police stations run by the United Front Work Department, according to a source close to the Select Committee. United Front Work, the overseas arm of the CCP, operates at least 54 secret police stations that allow them to monitor Chinese expats, the watchdog group Safeguard Defenders reported in 2022. The FBI shut down a New York City police station in 2022, while British authorities have reportedly allowed sites in London, Glasgow, and Belfast to continue operating.
The members of Congress will also discuss tech and trade practices that unfairly benefit China, the source added. Despite pressure from the Trump administration, the British government allows the Chinese tech giant Huawei to outfit its 5G providers, and will not ban all equipment from the company until at least 2027. All Chinese tech companies are required by the country’s national security law to share information with the government upon request. National security officials believe that Huawei products could be used to spy on their users.
“Chinese Communist Party aggression is global, and the United States and United Kingdom face common economic, military, and ideological threats posed by the CCP. For the sake of both our nations and the sake of the free world, we must work hand in hand to stand up to CCP tech theft, United Front work, transnational repression, and flagrant violations of our sovereignty. I look forward to working with my friends in Parliament and the Government to build upon our special relationship and fight CCP aggression and malign influence across the globe,” Gallagher, the Select Committee chairman, said in a statement.