New York lawmakers’ ‘friendship’ trip to China raises skepticism

A 10-day visit to China by Republican lawmakers from New York state has triggered skepticism in US media amid reports that the delegation is being accompanied by a Chinese Communist Party organ.

The trip, which began on Dec. 13, was reportedly arranged by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) while the American Chinese Commerce Association (ACCA), a local pro-Beijing community group, is said to have funded the trip.

According to the National Review magazine's website, New York State Assembly members William Barclay, Lester Chang, Sam Pirozzolo and Michael Novakhov are part of the delegation.

ACCA chairman John Chan is also part of the trip -- the first such since Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden held a summit in California last month.

The National Review report said the CPAFFC was tasked with "co-opting state-government officials," recalling former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's designation of the group in 2020 as "a Beijing-based organization tasked with co-opting subnational governments" that "has sought to directly and malignly influence state and local leaders to promote the PRC's (China's) global agenda."

It added that the group of New York legislators, part of a "friendship delegation," has visited Beijing and Fuzhou, in China's Fujian province.

The US officials have met with Chinese officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the Standing Committee of the Beijing municipal People's Congress and the CPAFFC.

CPAFFC official Sun Tao is accompanying the delegation for the entire trip.

"This trip is just the beginning," Barclay said in Fuzhou.

"In the future, I hope to strengthen cooperation between New York State and Fujian Province in education, economy, trade, cultural tourism and other fields."

The report said the CPAFFC is part of the United Front Work Department — a powerful bureau that seeks to cultivate influence among non-party members in China and abroad to advance Beijing's aims."

Yang Wanming, the head of the CPAFFC, told the Beijing-based daily Global Times last month that the "healthy and stable development of China-US relations not only safeguards the fundamental interests of the people of both countries but also aligns with the common expectations of the international community."

The influential state-run English daily said the CPAFFC has established a "friendly cooperation relationship" with about 400 non-governmental organizations and institutions in more than 150 countries.

"To deepen the exchanges between the peoples of China and the US, the CPAFFC has taken the initiative to proactively facilitate various events," it said.

In early November, the CPAFFC also organized a 10-day trip to China for around 30 members of the Flying Tigers, the first in 80 years.

The Flying Tigers are volunteer US pilots who assisted the Chinese Air Force as it fought against the Japanese during World War II.

Accusing the Communist Party of China (CCP) of "unrelenting propaganda efforts," Pompeo said on X: "CPAFFC is one of many organizations dedicated to spreading the CCP's influence to state and local legislatures all across the United States. 'Friendship' has nothing to do with its true mission."