Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar has raised questions following LeBron James’ recent trip to China, marking his 15th visit with Nike to the country. The visit comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) human rights record and international trade practices.
In 2019, James commented on then-Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey’s support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, stating: “I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand…so many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. So just be careful what we tweet and what we say, and what we do.”
Moolenaar responded to James’ latest trip by asking: “After more than a dozen trips to China, what has LeBron James learned about the Chinese Communist Party? Has he learned about its persecution of spiritual people of all faiths, including the genocide of Uyghur Muslims? Has he heard how the CCP actively subsidizes the chemicals used to make fentanyl, which has killed or otherwise harmed millions of Americans? Or about the financial harm done to his American fans through the CCP’s theft of intellectual property and predatory trade practices? I hope that as an Olympian he is at least aware of the corrupt World Anti-Doping Agency, which allowed Chinese swimmers to compete in the Olympics after they cheated and tested positive for steroids,” said Moolenaar.
During his visit this week, James told state-run People’s Daily newspaper that basketball is “a bridge that connects us,” adding it is “super-humbling for me to come here.”
The Select Committee on China released a bipartisan report in May 2023 documenting widespread abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province. The report estimated up to two million Uyghurs and other minorities have been detained in mass internment camps where they face political indoctrination, torture, forced labor, and other human rights violations.
Another bipartisan committee report from April 2024 concluded that nearly all illicit fentanyl precursors originate from companies in China under CCP oversight. The report found these chemicals are key drivers behind global illicit fentanyl trafficking.
In January 2025, Moolenaar joined other lawmakers in introducing legislation aimed at increasing accountability within the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The bill would allow U.S. authorities to withhold funding if WADA does not ensure fair competition free from doping violations at Olympic events. This move followed media reports indicating WADA permitted Chinese swimmers who tested positive for steroids to participate in the 2021 Olympics.
