Washington, D.C. — October 1, 2024 — Today, members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), led by Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), First Vice-Chair Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), and Executive Member Sen. Mazie Hirono (HI), renewed their opposition to the potential reinstatement of the controversial Trump-era “China Initiative.” The initiative, which was launched in 2018, was intended to combat espionage, but critics argue that it disproportionately targeted individuals of Chinese descent, leading to racial profiling and fears within the Chinese American and broader Asian American communities.
The China Initiative, initially launched by the Department of Justice in November 2018, quickly became a flashpoint in debates about national security and racial discrimination. According to CAPAC members, federal authorities used the initiative as a broad prosecutorial tool, rather than a narrowly focused program aimed at specific national security threats. This, they argue, resulted in the unfair targeting of Chinese American researchers, scholars, and scientists who had long contributed to vital fields such as science, technology, and academia.
In a letter to House and Senate leadership, the lawmakers stressed the harmful consequences of the initiative on Chinese Americans. “The China Initiative enabled the racial profiling and targeting of individuals who had ‘some nexus to China,'” the members wrote. “Chinese American and Chinese researchers and scholars—who have made valuable contributions to science, technology, and academia in this country for decades—reported that they felt targeted because of their racial and ethnic backgrounds and fearful of conducting research.”
The Department of Justice officially ended the program in 2022 after several high-profile cases, including those involving alleged espionage and national security violations, were dismissed or ended in acquittals. However, despite its termination, some Republican members of Congress have revived the proposal, attempting to relaunch the program through legislative measures. One such attempt is found in H.R. 1398, the Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act of 2024, which passed during a “China Week” in the House of Representatives. Republican lawmakers are also pushing for the reinstatement of the China Initiative within H.R. 9026, the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act, which funds key government agencies such as the Department of Justice, Commerce, and science-related programs.
Rep. Judy Chu and her colleagues strongly oppose the move to bring back the initiative, echoing previous letters sent earlier this year opposing a similar attempt to include it in the FY 2024 CJS Appropriations Act. The lawmakers argue that the revival of such a program will fuel racial animus and division, ultimately undermining the shared American values of freedom, fairness, and equality.
“Rather than entertaining short-sighted policy and fearmongering language, we ask that you work with us to find forward-looking solutions rooted in our shared commitment to American values,” the members concluded in their letter to congressional leadership.
The CAPAC members’ renewed push to prevent the relaunch of the China Initiative comes as the broader debate over the treatment of Asian Americans, particularly those of Chinese descent, intensifies. As Congressional Republicans continue to push for policies that critics say unfairly target Chinese Americans, the outcome of this latest legislative push will likely have lasting implications for national security policy and civil rights protections in the United States.
As the debate continues, CAPAC members remain committed to advocating for policies that respect the rights and contributions of all Americans, regardless of their ethnic background.
