חברת הקונגרס סטפניק: "רוב אזרחי ארה"ב יהיו המומים לגלות שהחוק בארה"ב אינו אוסר כבר כיום על צבא סין הקומוניסטית לקבל חוזים..."

Chinese companies operate American port terminals and build cranes that could monitor military cargo coming in and out. Chinese nationals even own farmland near U.S. military bases. And now lawmakers are questioning who's behind the wheel of the trucks transporting the War Department's freight. Senator Tom Cotton and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik are working to prevent Beijing from exploiting U.S. transportation systems for spying. They're introducing a bill that would prevent Chinese companies from being awarded military transportation contracts. The bill would also ban Chinese nationals from driving trucks carrying the Pentagon's cargo. The two lawmakers both serve on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees in their respective chambers. In a statement last week, Representative Stefanik said, quote, most Americans would be shocked to learn that U.S. law does not already prohibit Communist China's military from receiving transportation contracts tied to American defense projects. If passed, the law would introduce a new registry for motor carriers that would undergo enhanced vetting for carrying U.S. military equipment. And at sea, most U.S. military cargo is transported on commercial vessels. It's a loophole the Chinese Communist Party has long taken advantage of. Last January, the Pentagon added the Chinese company Costco Shipping to its list of Chinese military companies operating in the U.S. In China, the company ships military supplies for the Chinese army and has participated in drills tied to a potential Taiwan invasion. Here in the U.S., the Costco Shipping operates terminals of the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Seattle. While commercial, these ports can handle military cargo. That gives Beijing the ability to track U.S. military shipments transported on commercial freight.