Congressman John Moolenaar Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP | Official Website
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party convened a hearing titled "The Great Firewall and the CCP's Export of its Techno-Authoritarian Surveillance State" in Washington, D.C. today. The session featured testimonies from Mr. Nat Kretchun, Senior Vice President for Programs at the Open Technology Fund; Dr. Zack Cooper, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; and Mr. Xiao Qiang, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the China Digital Times.
Chairman John Moolenaar addressed the committee, stating, "With an army of censors boosted by artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technology, [the Great Firewall] monitors all information and expression within China, rapidly stamping out anything that diverges from the party line."
Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi emphasized the stakes involved: “We cannot allow the Chinese Communist Party to control the internet which was designed to connect people, not to divide and control them…. This is a fight the US cannot afford to lose.”
Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer questioned ongoing investments in China: “Why are we trying to help the country that’s trying to take us over? If this were Nazi Germany, would we be investing in that? I don’t think so. China is our mortal enemy here and we continue to fund them. We need to be stopping all investment and sanction them.”
Mr. Nat Kretchun warned about failing to challenge China's internet model: “If we don’t contest China’s model of internet substitution… we’ll be unable to counter it where it spreads. There’s no message the U.S. could deliver that’s… more powerful than helping facilitate Chinese citizens’ own search for the truth.”
Dr. Zach Cooper highlighted Beijing's global influence: “Authoritarian tools developed by Beijing will not stay in China. Over the last decade, the Chinese government has exported… surveillance technologies to over 80 countries worldwide. These tools will be adopted by autocrats from Russia to Iran and beyond.”
Mr. Xiao Qiang pointed out broader implications: “The CCP is providing the world with a blueprint for establishing a digital totalitarian state and presenting a real threat to world peace.We must work in solidarity to defend and preserve freedom and dignity at home and globally.”
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