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WASHINGTON, DC – "It is unconscionable that American companies might pay thousands of dollars to join a 'welcome dinner' hosted by the very same CCP officials who have facilitated a genocide against millions of innocent men, women, and children in Xinjiang," wrote Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party to the American organizers of a November 15th 'welcome dinner' for U.S. executives to dine with communist dictator Xi Jinping in San Francisco.
The National Committee on U.S. China Relations (NCUSCR) and the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) announced on November 5th that they will host a banquet for Xi Jinping following Xi's meeting with President Biden alongside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
Chairman Gallagher requested documents and information as soon as possible from NCUSCR President Mr. Stephen Orlins and USCBC President Mr. Craig Allen, writing, "USCBC and NCUSCR’s decision to profit from selling access to the senior-most CCP official responsible for the Uyghur genocide raises serious questions about whether these organizations are playing responsible roles in the bilateral relationship."
Chairman Gallagher asked both men to fulfill the below requests no later than November 21, 2023.
- Please provide a complete list of individuals, companies, financial institutions, and other entities that have purchased tickets to the CCP dinner;
- Please provide a separate list of individuals and companies that have paid the $40,000 fee to sit at the table with Xi;
- Please provide a breakdown of how profits from the CCP dinner will be distributed between USCBC, NCUSCR, and other entities, as applicable; and
- What steps, if any, has USCBC and NCUSCR taken to defend human rights in China and to prevent the genocide of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang?
Prior to Xi's arrival to engage with President Biden and U.S. business leaders, Chairman Gallagher traveled to San Francisco to stand in solidarity with Chinese dissidents and meet with victims of the Chinese Communist Party's human rights abuses. Watch clips of Chairman Gallagher's address and his exhortation to President Biden and the U.S. business community HERE.
View Chairman Gallagher's letters to Mr. Orlins here and Mr. Allen here or read below.
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Dear Ambassador Allen/ Mr. Stephen Orlins,
On November 5th, 2023, the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) announced they will host a banquet with Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and other senior CCP officials in San Francisco, California on November 15th, 2023. Beyond the standard price to attend the event, USCBC and NCUSCR, are also selling $40,000 tickets to Americans and American businesses to sit at Xi’s table. It is unconscionable that American companies might pay thousands of dollars to join a “welcome dinner” hosted by the very same CCP officials who have facilitated a genocide against millions of innocent men, women, and children in Xinjiang.
Should executives of U.S. companies and financial institutions decide to meet with CCP officials at this dinner, those industry executives should not be fooled by celebratory toasts and promises of future cooperation. Executives must recognize that the reality of doing business in China today includes the increased risk of arbitrary detentions, exit bans, and raids by the Chinese intelligence services. The CCP’s continued efforts to weaponize market access and supply chain vulnerabilities further complicate the business landscape, and executives should take proactive steps to de-risk. This is particularly true for U.S. companies that work on critical and emerging technologies, to include pharmaceuticals, bio and medtech, batteries, AI, advanced computing, and semiconductor manufacturing. Additionally, U.S. financial institutions should not view engagement with CCP officials as an opportunity to sign and celebrate new deals that facilitate flows of American capital or technology to PRC companies that have been blacklisted by the U.S. government or that otherwise support PRC military advancement or CCP human rights abuses.
USCBC and NCUSCR’s decision to profit from selling access to the senior-most CCP official responsible for the Uyghur genocide raises serious questions about whether these organizations are playing responsible roles in the bilateral relationship. Therefore, we request the following documents and information as soon as possible but no later than November 21, 2023:
- Please provide a complete list of individuals, companies, financial institutions, and other entities that have purchased tickets to the CCP dinner
- Please provide a separate list of individuals and companies that have paid the $40,000 fee to sit at the table with Xi
- Please provide a breakdown of how profits from the CCP dinner will be distributed between USCBC, NCUSCR, and other entities, as applicable
- What steps, if any, has USCBC and NCUSCR taken to defend human rights in China and to prevent the genocide of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang?
The House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party has broad authority to “investigate and submit policy recommendations on the status of the Chinese Communist Party’s economic, technological, and security progress and its competition with the United States” under H. Res. 11. I appreciate your attention to this inquiry, and I look forward to receiving your responses.
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