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An investigation found California Treasurer Fiona Ma has participated in numerous meetings with Chinese government and United Front-linked officials while also presenting commendations to organizations tied to Beijing influence operations.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
California Treasurer Fiona Ma has held repeated meetings with Chinese Communist Party officials and individuals connected to Beijing’s foreign influence apparatus over several decades, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation.
The investigation reported that Ma — currently viewed as a leading Democratic contender in California’s 2026 lieutenant governor race — met with Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party-linked officials at least 30 times in the United States and China, citing translated Chinese state media reports and government announcements.
The report also stated that Ma introduced American lawmakers to Chinese officials connected to the Chinese government’s United Front Work Department and presented awards or commendations to CCP members and Chinese government affiliates on multiple occasions.
“We really should be more integrated,” Ma said during a 2023 interview with Chinese state-run outlet CGTN. “The more that we can get along, work together, I think would create more peace in the world as well as better economic opportunities for both countries.”
Author Peter Schweizer, known for investigations into foreign influence and political corruption, criticized such interactions in comments to the DCNF.
“CCP elite capture is alive and well,” Schweizer said. “Any politician who continues to engage in these types of behavior is not a target, but is complicit in CCP activities. Ignorance is no longer an excuse.”
The investigation comes after renewed attention surrounding Ma’s international connections following an April Politico report that revealed Ma had offered assistance securing internships and employment opportunities in the United States for students attending Pegasus California School in Qingdao, China.
The school was founded by an individual serving as chair of Ma’s campaign finance committee. According to a 2026 Riverside County Office of Education audit, Chinese students attending the institution allegedly received improper California high school diplomas through a partnership with the Val Verde Unified School District. The audit did not accuse Ma of wrongdoing.
Ma did not respond to requests for comment cited in the report.
The DCNF investigation focused heavily on Ma’s reported interactions with individuals connected to China’s United Front Work Department, an organization U.S. government agencies have identified as a major foreign influence and intelligence arm of the Chinese Communist Party.
According to a House Select Committee memorandum, United Front operations involve “a blend of engagement, influence activities, and intelligence operations” intended to shape foreign policy outcomes and advance Chinese government interests abroad.
The report stated that Ma began organizing delegations involving U.S. lawmakers to China in 1999 while serving as an aide to former California Democratic Sen. John Burton. Chinese state media outlet China Daily reportedly documented those visits.
One of the individuals involved in those delegations reportedly also served as an advisor to Sichuan province within the Chinese government structure, according to translated Chinese government announcements.
The investigation stated that Ma continued organizing or participating in similar delegations after entering elected office in California in 2002. One such trip in December 2014 reportedly involved Ma introducing more than 20 California legislators to Chinese government officials and representatives connected to the United Front Work Department while visiting Sichuan province.
Since becoming California treasurer in 2019, the report stated Ma has met with Chinese government or CCP-linked officials more than 20 additional times, including multiple visits to China in 2023.
The investigation also identified at least 10 occasions since 2018 in which Ma reportedly presented awards or commendations to CCP members or Chinese government affiliates.
One instance involved a 2023 presentation to the chairman of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, an organization linked to the United Front system. According to a National Counterintelligence and Security Center report, the organization has sought to influence state and local leaders in support of Beijing’s global agenda.
The report did not allege that Ma personally engaged in illegal conduct or knowingly participated in intelligence activities.
However, previous reporting cited in the investigation described earlier controversies involving Chinese government lobbying efforts directed at Ma during her time in local and state office.
According to a San Francisco Chronicle report, Ma allegedly withdrew support in 2005 for a Falun Gong-related art exhibit after pressure from Chinese officials. Falun Gong is a spiritual movement banned by the CCP.
Several years later, The Sacramento Bee reported that Ma helped stop a California legislative resolution honoring Tibet following lobbying efforts by Chinese government representatives.
Former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Cella told the DCNF that repeated interactions between American officials and Chinese government-linked personnel should raise concerns among national security agencies.
“[E]lected and appointed officials, staff, and executive leaders and workers in all sector and strata, need to be educated about the nature of the CCP, how these threats emanate and manifest, how to be on guard against them, and to counter them,” Cella said. “The importance of refusing to participate in these meetings, and certainly reporting them to the FBI.”
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