This week, Chairman John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party sent a letter to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker. In the letter, he called for the cancellation of an official ceremony in which the Five-Star Red Flag of the People’s Republic of China is scheduled to be raised.
Moolenaar stated, "The city where America declared independence and that all people have the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, should not raise the flag of an authoritarian regime represented by the Chinese Communist Party, which denies those freedoms to its own people. Raising the flag of the People's Republic of China over Philadelphia is a disgrace to our nation’s founding values and flies in the face of all the courageous dissidents and human rights advocates who tirelessly work to bring freedom to the Chinese people."
He further wrote in his letter: "The Five-Star Red Flag, embodying the totalitarian government led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), represents a regime that is persecuting spiritual people of all faiths, including the genocide of Uyghur Muslims. It is a government that actively subsidizes the precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl, which has killed or harmed millions of Americans. It is a Communist Party-State that is diametrically opposed to American values and working to undermine our interests worldwide. The city government of Philadelphia should cancel the raising of the national flag of a foreign adversary country."
Moolenaar also highlighted concerns about United Front organizations operating within U.S. borders. According to him, these groups are believed by national security experts to conduct influence and intelligence activities on behalf of Beijing. He emphasized that local officials should be vigilant when interacting with entities linked to this system.
Additionally, Moolenaar requested that Mayor Parker end Philadelphia's sister-city relationship with Tianjin.
"Raising the national flag of a foreign adversary country sends the wrong message to our citizens and lawful residents, especially those oppressed by the CCP regime. The city government of Philadelphia should not allow itself to be exploited as a tool for CCP propaganda. To cancel the PRC flag-raising ceremony will not only demonstrate that the local government in the United States stands for U.S. values and national interests, but that it stands in support for the people of China who face the regime’s ruthless oppression and transnational repression," Moolenaar concluded.
A copy of Moolenaar's full letter can be accessed online.
