Latest news with #Moolenaar
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Two U.S. Lawmakers Demand Federal Investigation Into Chinese EV Charger Giant Autel Energy Over U.S. Data Concerns
Autel Energy, a Chinese electric vehicle charging startup with a growing footprint in the U.S., is facing bipartisan calls for federal investigation as national security concerns over data access and grid vulnerability intensify. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) formally requested in a letter dated May 19 to the Defense and Commerce departments to assess the company's ties to the Chinese military and consider adding it to federal blacklists. The lawmakers allege Autel Energy may pose a significant threat to American consumer data and infrastructure integrity. Don't Miss: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — This marks another flashpoint in the ongoing U.S.-China tech rivalry, where control over emerging technologies like AI, chips, and clean energy systems has become central to geopolitical strategy, a report from Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs published on May 13 says. Autel Energy is a subsidiary of Autel Intelligent Transportation, which also owns Autel Robotics, a drone manufacturer previously sanctioned by both the Commerce and Defense departments for its alleged military affiliations in China, The Wall Street Journal reports. In their letter, Blackburn and Moolenaar said that Autel Energy's integration into U.S. charging infrastructure could expose private consumer data and sensitive energy grid access to foreign influence. According to The Journal, the call for investigation is part of a broader legislative push to curtail Chinese access to American tech ecosystems. Trending: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Moolenaar, who chairs the House select committee on China, and Blackburn emphasized in the letter the potential for Autel's EV chargers to collect sensitive driver data and connect to critical infrastructure, posing cybersecurity and national security risks. Despite its Chinese parentage, Autel Energy has made strategic moves to embed itself within North American markets. According to The Journal, the company launched production operations at a new facility in North Carolina in 2023 and entered partnerships with charging networks like ChargeSmartEV and Red E Charge in key states such as New York, Massachusetts and Michigan. Red E CEO Abass El-Hage told The Journal that the company sources hardware from a range of manufacturers and maintains strict cybersecurity testing protocols. An Autel Energy spokesperson stated the company has direct investments and partnerships in North America, The Journal says. Lawmakers, however, raised concerns about its ties to Autel Robotics and its Chinese parent firm, citing potential national security risks, according to the to the Belfer Center report, the U.S.-China tech standoff has steadily escalated over the past three years, with both countries implementing export restrictions, blacklists, and sanctions involving advanced chips, rare-earth materials, and AI hardware. Now, lawmakers appear increasingly focused on EV infrastructure as a strategic concern, The Journal reports. As Washington tightens its grip on foreign tech infiltration, Autel Energy may become the next high-profile company to face operational constraints or outright bans. The outcome of this investigation could shape future policy toward international EV players and how America secures its charging networks in a rapidly electrifying economy. Read Next:Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Two U.S. Lawmakers Demand Federal Investigation Into Chinese EV Charger Giant Autel Energy Over U.S. Data Concerns originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Epoch Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Lawmakers Call on Hotel Giants to Stop Using ‘Taiwan, China' Label
Two Republican lawmakers are urging Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt to drop their use of the phrase 'Taiwan, China' to refer to Taiwan on their websites and promotional materials, questioning whether this wording was influenced or requested by Beijing. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) 'Using terminology such as 'Taiwan, China,' gives false credence to the PRC's position of authority and sovereignty over Taiwan and implies that Taiwan is the property of the PRC,' the lawmakers wrote, using the acronym of China's official name, People's Republic of China. 'Not only does this directly contradict U.S. policy, but it also undermines Taiwan's democratic system.' Moolenaar is the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Blackburn is a member of the Senate Finance and Senate Judiciary committees. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been known for pressuring organizations and companies to refer to Taiwan with such names as 'Taiwan, China' or 'Chinese Taipei,' as part of its broader efforts to isolate Taiwan in the international community. One such Related Stories 5/22/2025 5/19/2025 Taiwan is a de facto independent nation with its own military, constitution, and democratically elected government. The CCP, which has never ruled Taiwan, considers the self-governing island a 'wayward province' that should be united with the mainland. Moolenaar and Blackburn pointed out that the U.S. government supports Taiwan's participation on the global stage through the Taiwan Relations Act, a legislation signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in April 1979 after Washington changed diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing earlier that year. 'This [U.S.–Taiwan] relationship is of the utmost importance to the economic and national security of the United States, and the government and the private sector alike must take steps to bolster and support Taiwan, one of our most important allies in the region,' they wrote. To show that there is widespread support for Taiwan within the federal government, the lawmakers cited a 'This [2024] letter followed consistent action from President [Donald] Trump and every president—from both parties—since President Carter,' the May 21 letter reads. The lawmakers said the three hotel chains should follow other major U.S. companies that have correctly identified Taiwan. 'We urge Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt to review this practice and ensure that your companies' language on both U.S. and Taiwan-hosted websites properly reflects long-standing U.S. policy,' they said. 'This includes avoiding the use of 'Taiwan, China.'' The lawmakers requested the three hotel chains to answer three questions before June 20, including whether the decision to use the term 'Taiwan, China' was 'influenced by any instructions, guidelines, requests, or suggestions from the PRC government or related entities.' They also asked whether the hotels would make a correction and commit to referring to Taiwan as 'Taiwan.' Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung thanked the lawmakers for voicing support for Taiwan, in a statement to the local government-run Central News Agency on May 22. 'For a long time, the Chinese government has used economic coercion against international companies to force them to comply with its false political claims,' Lin said. 'The [Taiwanese] government continues to pay close attention to and take seriously the foreign companies that mislabel Taiwan's name,' he said, adding that his ministry and the island's overseas missions have actively sought name changes to uphold the island's sovereignty. The Epoch Times contacted Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt for comment and did not receive a response by publication time.
Politico
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
A showdown over Harvard's China ties
With help from John Sakellariadis, Maggie Miller, Nahal Toosi and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Robbie | Email Eric Programming note: We'll be off this Monday but will be back in your inboxes on Tuesday. The Trump administration is targeting Harvard University's China ties in what may be the opening shot in a wider administration effort to compel U.S. schools to sever their relations with Chinese entities — or else. The Department of Homeland Security provided a number of reasons for terminating Harvard's right to enroll foreign students Thursday, including allegations of pervasive antisemitism and race discrimination. But China featured prominently in the rationale. The agency alleged that the school had relationships with a Xinjiang-based paramilitary force and Chinese universities and individuals 'linked to China's defense-industrial base.' The statement referred to sources that included Harvard websites and academic journal articles that demonstrated the university's ties with those Chinese entities. Harvard convinced a federal judge Friday to temporarily block the DHS order. Harvard and many in the academic community see that as just an excuse to ramp up pressure on the school for defying the Trump administration's efforts to compel it to enact sweeping changes to admissions and hiring that the administration deems 'hostile to the American values and institutions.' 'This is clearly another attempt to find a reason to punish Harvard,' said ROSIE LEVINE, executive director of the US-China Education Trust, a nonprofit education advocacy group. 'There's a risk of lumping everything that has anything to do with the military in China under this very broad lens that puts very normal, nonsensitive research into the crosshairs.' Beijing feels the same way. DHS' move on Harvard is 'politicizing education cooperation,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson MAO NING said today. Harvard didn't respond to a request for comment. The State Department didn't waste any time leaping on the directive. An internal State Department cable issued today instructed all consular sections 'effective immediately' to refuse visas for foreign students associated with Harvard. 'Consular sections should refer all inquiries from impacted students or visa holders to DHS for further information,' the cable read. DHS got help in justifying the move from Rep. JOHN MOOLENAAR (R-Mich.), chair of the House Select Committee on China. Moolenaar, along with Reps. TIM WALBERG (R-Mich.) and ELISE STEFANIK (R-N.Y.), raised 'serious national security and ethical concerns' about Harvard's China ties in a letter to the school Monday. DHS referenced that letter in its statement justifying the move Thursday. Moolenaar declined to comment to NatSec Daily, and neither Walberg nor Stefanik responded to our requests for comment. Moolenaar has made the targeting of U.S. universities with allegedly problematic ties to Chinese schools a key focus of the China committee. In January, he persuaded the University of Michigan to cut ties with Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Moolenaar and Walberg also want Duke University to shut down its China-based Duke Kunshan University campus, alleging it's 'a direct pipeline between U.S. innovation and China's military-industrial complex,' the lawmakers said in a letter to Duke last week. That echoes long standing bipartisan concerns — backed by the FBI — about the threat of Chinese theft of U.S. intellectual property. And there's likely more to come. Moolenaar sent questionnaires to six U.S. universities in March about their Chinese student population and their participation in advanced STEM programs. Moolenaar has declined to respond to requests about how he'll use that data. Within U.S. academic circles, there is concern that U.S. universities are now at risk of accusations of national security breaches due to the composition of their foreign student bodies or tangential ties to the Chinese military. 'For some schools that even just have Chinese language programs, it may be very easy to just cut any kind of ties with China that might bring you into the firing line of the Trump administration,' said a professor in a U.S. university with multiple cooperation programs with Chinese schools. POLITICO granted them anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. The Inbox BACK TO REALPOLITIK: It's not your father's Republican party. Vice President JD VANCE today said the Trump administration was undertaking a paradigm shift in America's approach to the rest of the world during a commencement address to graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy. 'We had a long experiment in our foreign policy that traded national defense and the maintenance of our alliances for nation-building and meddling in foreign countries' affairs, even when those foreign countries had very little to do with core American interests,' Vance said in his speech. 'What we are seeing from President [DONALD] TRUMP is a generational shift in policy.' 'No more undefined missions, no more open-ended conflicts,' he added. 'We're returning to a strategy grounded in realism and protecting our core national interests.' The speech offered the latest sign of how the Republican party is shifting in the Trump administration from its roots in recent decades of hawkish neoconservatism to a more realist approach. That revamp is being championed both by Vance and other top Trump officials including the Pentagon's ELBRIDGE COLBY. (Though there are still internal tussles within the administration between different foreign policy factions of the GOP.) TRUMP'S NEW SYRIA ENVOY: Trump today tapped his ambassador to Turkey, THOMAS BARRACK, to take up a second job as the new U.S. special envoy for Syria. Earlier this month, Trump announced he would lift U.S. sanctions on Syria to give the new interim government a chance at rebuilding after years of civil war and the toppling of BASHAR ASSAD's government in December. But that government is in a precarious spot — grappling with a wrecked and war-torn economy, the perennial threat of an ISIS resurgence and risk of disintegrating as factions around the country vie for influence. Secretary of State MARCO RUBIO warned in Senate testimony this week that Syria could be weeks or months from 'collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions.' On the decision to lift U.S. sanctions, Rubio said: 'If we engage them, it may work out, it may not work out. If we do not engage them, it was guaranteed to not work out.' (ANOTHER) SOUTH CHINA SEA SPAT: Another week, another round of Chinese naval intimidation in the South China Sea. This time China Coast Guard vessels targeted Philippines' ships with water cannon blasts that led to a minor collision with one of those boats, prompting the U.S. to sharply rebuke Beijing's antics over disputed islands in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims as its own. 'The China Coast Guard's aggressive actions against a lawful civilian mission near Sandy Cay recklessly endangered lives and threaten regional stability,' said U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MARYKAY L. CARLSONin an X post. Mao, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson shot back: 'The U.S. should refrain from using the Philippines to create trouble in the South China Sea and stop undermining peace and tranquility in the South China Sea.' DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of the national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink. Today, we're featuring CRAIG SINGLETON, senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a veteran of national security postings in various foreign locales. For Craig, an end-week wind-down from wrestling with Beijing's national security challenges to the U.S. makes location as important as libation. 'When work revolves around great power competition, I tend to favor quiet over crowded — and strong over sweet. That's why I slip away to Queen's English in Columbia Heights,' Craig tells us. It turns out that items on the Queen's English drinks menu can render swoon-worthy jaunts down memory lane that conjure the sights, sounds and intrigue of Asian postings past. 'Their cocktails draw from the region I spend my days studying, with flavors like toasted rice, citrus leaf, black sesame and pei pa koa (an herbal Chinese cough syrup),' Craig explains. He adds: 'The occasional splash of baijiu (白酒 – a colorless traditional Chinese liquor) reminds me that Asia's complexity isn't just strategic — it's also delicious. It's the rare place where geopolitics and good taste actually mix well.' Cheers and 干杯! IT'S FRIDAY! WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at rgramer@ and ebazail@ and follow Robbie and Eric on X @RobbieGramer and @ebazaileimil. While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's global security team: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @ak_mack, @felschwartz, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130 and @delizanickel Keystrokes RUSSIA'S CYBER ASSAULTS: More than three years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, Kyiv is facing an increasing barrage of cyberattacks, though tactics and targets have changed, as our own Maggie Miller writes in. According to a report out today from Ukraine's State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection, cyberattacks aimed at Ukrainian organizations nearly doubled in 2024 compared with 2022. Unsurprisingly, most are attributed to Russia. However, the number of incidents affecting critical infrastructure sites, such as telecommunications and energy systems, was down to 59 in 2024 as compared with more than 1,000 in the first year of the war. The report attributes that drop to Ukraine and its allies stepping up cyber defense efforts, and also to Russia shifting to using cyberattacks for more intelligence operations. Ukrainian officials briefed the public on the report this morning and detailed how the nation is working to bolster its cyber efforts further, including through creating a national backup center for government data and establishing regional cybersecurity hubs outside of Kyiv. The Complex THE GOLDEN DOME NEEDS THE FROZEN NORTH: Trump left out a key detail this week when he outlined his plans for a massive missile and air defense shield over the continent: He can't build it without Canada. And it's not clear America's northern neighbor wants in, as our own Jack Detsch, Paul McLeary and Nick Taylor-Vaisey report. Canada would need to play a pivotal role in Trump's signature, potentially $500 billion effort to build the so-called Golden Dome, according to U.S. officials and experts, with Ottawa providing radars and airspace needed to track incoming missiles in the Arctic. But Canadian leaders appear to be tepid on the idea after being antagonized by Trump as the United States' '51st state' and the start of a grueling trade war. On the Hill EYE ON CHINA'S AI: The top members of the hawkish House China Committee are urging a Commerce Department AI office to monitor how well Beijing is harnessing the transformative tech — and watch for indicators it's set to surpass the West. 'There is a strong national security need for better understanding, predicting, and preparing for the PRC's AI progress,' Reps. Moolenaar and RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-Ill.) write in a letter to Commerce Secretary HOWARD LUTNICK today. Under Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi's plan, Commerce's new AI Safety Institute would use its scientific expertise and relationships with cutting-edge tech industries to continuously track China's AI capabilities. The two lawmakers argued that doing so is critical given the recent emergence of Chinese AI firm DeepSeek, which set off alarm bells in Washington when it released a surprisingly powerfully large language model in January. The Commerce Department did not reply to a request for comment on the letter. Transitions — JPMorganChase announced it launched the Center for Geopolitics, a new client advisory service led by DEREK CHOLLET, the former State Department counselor and former chief of staff to Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN. — HANNAH SUH has joined the Cohen Group consulting firm as chief of staff. Suh is a Biden administration alum who was previously senior adviser to the undersecretary of State for civilian security, democracy and human rights and a policy adviser on Indo-Pacific issues at the National Security Council. What to Read — Barak Ravid, Axios: U.S.-Iran nuclear talks show 'some progress,' no breakthrough in 5th round — Abby Sewell and Ellen Knickmeyer, AP: Trump's team is divided on how to tackle the president's vow to ease sanctions on Syria — Theresa Lou, World Politics Review: Trump is dealing with a very different North Korea than before — Huzeir Ezekiel Dzulhisham, The Diplomat: Could Trump's Deals in the Middle East Secure US Influence Against China? Tuesday Today — Atlantic Council, 9 a.m.: The Rt Hon Lord Mandelson on Britain in an enduring transatlantic relationship — Cato Institute, 12 p.m.: Tariffs, Emergencies, and Presidential Power — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2 p.m.: 2025 CSIS-CSDS Transatlantic Dialogue on the Indo-Pacific Thanks to our editors, Heidi Vogt and Emily Lussier, who send secret communist infiltrators to schools across the nation.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House GOP China hawks urge Duke to end its relationship with Chinese university
Two Republican critics of China are urging Duke University to end its partnership with a Chinese institution with close ties to the country's government. Rep. John Moolenaar and Rep. Tim Walberg said in a letter Wednesday to Duke that the partnership with Wuhan University helps facilitate the transfer of technology and skills to China. 'Wuhan University is not an ordinary academic institution,' they wrote in the letter to Duke President Vincent Price. 'It is a direct extension of the Chinese military and intelligence apparatus.' The letter from Moolenaar, who is chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Walberg echoes familiar government concerns about China's efforts to develop its economy with knowledge and technology from the U.S., often in the forms of research partnership with American institutions and companies. Duke confirmed in a statement that it had received the letter, and said the university would work 'to further educate Congress about Duke's global education mission.' Duke Kunshan University, near Shanghai, enrolls about 3,000 students, many of whom spend time and do research at the U.S. school's main campus in Durham, North Carolina. That's what Walberg and Moolenaar find troubling. They pointed to a 2024 joint report from the Select Committee on China and the House Education and Workforce Committee that found American research funding had contributed to technological and military advancements in Beijing. 'Given the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) well-documented efforts to exploit U.S. academic openness, this partnership creates a direct pipeline between U.S. innovation and China's military-industrial complex,' the pair wrote. Duke is one of many elite institutions caught in President Donald Trump's ongoing assault on higher education. Layoffs as a result of cuts to grants and contracts are likely, the university hinted in April. And Duke is already rolling out a voluntary buyout program as it readies for lower federal funding levels. Also this week, Moolenaar and Walberg joined Texas Republicans Roger Williams and Brian Babin in pushing university systems in California and New York to monitor small business grant programs for Chinese influence. 'American universities must be vigilant against foreign influence and infiltration — especially when partnered with small businesses developing cutting-edge technology,' Moolenaar said in a statement. 'This investigation is about safeguarding national security and making sure U.S. innovation benefits America, not the CCP.'
Politico
15-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
House GOP China hawks urge Duke to end its relationship with Chinese university
Two Republican critics of China are urging Duke University to end its partnership with a Chinese institution with close ties to the country's government. Rep. John Moolenaar and Rep. Tim Walberg said in a letter Wednesday to Duke that the partnership with Wuhan University helps facilitate the transfer of technology and skills to China. 'Wuhan University is not an ordinary academic institution,' they wrote in the letter to Duke President Vincent Price. 'It is a direct extension of the Chinese military and intelligence apparatus.' The letter from Moolenaar, who is chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Walberg echoes familiar government concerns about China's efforts to develop its economy with knowledge and technology from the U.S., often in the forms of research partnership with American institutions and companies. Duke confirmed in a statement that it had received the letter, and said the university would work 'to further educate Congress about Duke's global education mission.' Duke Kunshan University, near Shanghai, enrolls about 3,000 students, many of whom spend time and do research at the U.S. school's main campus in Durham, North Carolina. That's what Walberg and Moolenaar find troubling. They pointed to a 2024 joint report from the Select Committee on China and the House Education and Workforce Committee that found American research funding had contributed to technological and military advancements in Beijing. 'Given the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) well-documented efforts to exploit U.S. academic openness, this partnership creates a direct pipeline between U.S. innovation and China's military-industrial complex,' the pair wrote. Duke is one of many elite institutions caught in President Donald Trump's ongoing assault on higher education. Layoffs as a result of cuts to grants and contracts are likely, the university hinted in April. And Duke is already rolling out a voluntary buyout program as it readies for lower federal funding levels. Also this week, Moolenaar and Walberg joined Texas Republicans Roger Williams and Brian Babin in pushing university systems in California and New York to monitor small business grant programs for Chinese influence. 'American universities must be vigilant against foreign influence and infiltration — especially when partnered with small businesses developing cutting-edge technology,' Moolenaar said in a statement. 'This investigation is about safeguarding national security and making sure U.S. innovation benefits America, not the CCP.'
