The Select: A Weekly Committee Recap (Week of 4/21)

Select Committee Sounds Alarm on Nvidia Chips Sent to CCP-Tied DeepSeek

On Wednesday, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party released a new report revealing that U.S.-made Nvidia chips were illicitly diverted to a Chinese AI company, DeepSeek, which was recently exposed for misusing OpenAI tools and operating with links to the Chinese military. Despite export restrictions, DeepSeek was able to acquire and operate Nvidia GPUs via shell companies and third-party vendors.

DeepSeek’s AI tools have been used to help China’s military research institutes generate code, write in foreign languages, and even develop models with potential applications in cyber warfare and surveillance. The company’s access to high-end U.S. chips—including the restricted H100s and A100s—raises serious concerns about enforcement gaps in current export control laws. The Committee has called for the Department of Commerce to tighten end-use checks and expand blacklisting to include shell entities that act as proxies for banned Chinese firms.

Chairman Moolenaar Presses Wall Street to Drop CATL IPO

On Thursday, Chairman Moolenaar and the Select Committee on the CCP urged top U.S. financial institutions—including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America—to withdraw from underwriting the IPO of CATL in Hong Kong. The letter warns that CATL, a Chinese EV battery giant with military and CCP ties, is expanding its global footprint using U.S. capital, despite being part of Beijing’s broader industrial policy ambitions.

CATL has supplied lithium-ion batteries to China’s military suppliers and benefits from direct Chinese state subsidies. It is also part of China's push for energy dominance and could control vast portions of the global EV supply chain. The Committee emphasized that Wall Street’s continued financial backing for CCP-tied companies undermines American values and national security.

North Korea’s Nuclear Threat Persists, Says Select Committee Member

On Tuesday, in remarks following a recent report by the U.S. intelligence community, a senior member of the Select Committee on the CCP emphasized that North Korea’s nuclear threat remains a top-tier concern—and is increasingly intertwined with China’s strategic calculus. Despite growing global instability, Pyongyang continues its weapons development with the tacit approval of Beijing, which has obstructed international efforts to isolate the regime.

The Committee member noted that the PRC’s economic lifeline to North Korea—including fuel, food, and illicit financial channels—enables Kim Jong-un to sustain his regime and evade sanctions. As tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific, the nexus between Beijing and Pyongyang is becoming more dangerous. The Committee is pushing for enhanced sanctions enforcement and new tools to target Chinese firms that facilitate North Korean proliferation.

U.S. Investigates CCP Espionage Through U.S. Research Institutions

On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. federal investigators are probing multiple instances of Chinese scientists allegedly stealing sensitive research from American universities and labs. The cases come as scrutiny intensifies over CCP efforts to infiltrate academic institutions and siphon off critical scientific advancements.

Several of the scientists under investigation maintained undisclosed ties to Chinese universities and talent programs. These programs are believed to be run by the Ministry of State Security and the People’s Liberation Army. Law enforcement officials fear these efforts are part of a broader espionage campaign aimed at accelerating China’s edge in strategic technologies like quantum computing, hypersonics, and AI. The Select Committee on the CCP has previously called for tighter screening of foreign researchers and increased transparency in federal grant programs.

Lawmakers Subpoena Chinese Telecom Giants for National Security Review

On Wednesday, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party issued subpoenas to Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE, along with their U.S. affiliates, as part of a broader investigation into threats posed by CCP-linked companies operating in American networks. The subpoenas demand internal documents, communications, and compliance records related to security practices and potential data-sharing with the Chinese government.

Huawei and ZTE have long been flagged as national security risks by both the Trump and Biden administrations due to their deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party and their potential to enable espionage through 5G infrastructure and consumer devices. Despite U.S. restrictions, both companies continue to maintain a presence in American markets through subsidiaries and shell companies. Lawmakers on the Committee are seeking to uncover the extent of these companies’ operations and whether U.S. data may be vulnerable.

Chairman Moolenaar stated the Committee would use “every tool available” to protect Americans from CCP-linked surveillance and data theft, and emphasized the importance of removing untrusted vendors from U.S. telecommunications systems.

Read the Committee’s full announcement HERE.