Protecting U.S. Infrastructure: Chairmen Moolenaar, Garbarino Send Bipartisan Letter to Secretary Noem on PRC-backed Alibaba's Involvement in 2028 LA Olympics

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on China and Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) of the Committee on Homeland Security sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem expressing alarm about the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s ongoing partnership with Alibaba Group—a key piece of the CCP's digital surveillance and censorship state. They were joined by Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on China and Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-MS) of the Committee on Homeland Security.

Currently, Alibaba is slated to support the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

"Alibaba serves as a critical enabler of the CCP’s digital surveillance and censorship apparatus. The company appears to have partnered with Chinese military firms on surveillance and weapons development, helped process data for PRC intelligence agencies, and established a CCP party committee within the company," the lawmakers write in the letter. "Given that the 2028 Olympics will be held in the United States, it is imperative that Alibaba not receive any access to a major U.S. city’s infrastructure and security information, which would create unacceptable exposure to espionage, data exploitation, and foreign influence operations at a globally significant event."

The lawmakers note the strategic significance of Los Angeles, including its proximity to military installations, defense contractors, critical infrastructure, and leading technology firms.

"Alibaba’s provision of cloud infrastructure, e-commerce, ticketing, and broadcasting services in prior Olympics has already given the company substantial access to systems and personnel," they continue. "This risk is heightened by the nature of the CCP’s influence over PRC-based companies and the increasing geopolitical tension surrounding critical technology platforms."

"Given the CCP’s clear strategic interest in exploiting foreign data systems, we believe that no PRC-controlled provider should be given any operational role unless the U.S. Government can verify the implementation of robust and demonstrable security controls—if such controls are even possible," the letter concludes.

Read the full letter here.