Republicans question ‘suspicious’ CCP ties to Biden ally: ‘The American people must know’

FIRST ON FOX: Republicans are sounding nan siren about the imaginable grade of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) influence in the White House after Fox News Digital reported astir a CCP-tied company's heavy connections to a longtime Biden state who served arsenic U.S. Ambassador to China.

The Max S. Baucus Institute astatine nan University of Montana School of Law, which was co-founded by erstwhile Ambassador to China Max Baucus and his woman successful 2017 aft their return from China pursuing nan Obama administration, released its annual study past period thanking Chinese institution Wanxiang Group arsenic 1 of its "major" firm sponsors.

Lu Guanqiu, the laminitis of Wanxiang Group, was posthumously awarded nan title of "National Outstanding Communist Party Member" by nan CCP successful 2021, 4 years aft his death. Chinese President Xi Jinping antecedently praised Lu arsenic a "pioneer of betterment of backstage enterprises."

Republicans who said pinch Fox News Digital said nan CCP’s power successful nan U.S. is simply a threat to nationalist security.

"We’ve known for a agelong clip that Biden Inc. is profoundly intertwined pinch nan CCP," said Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. "It is not astonishing that those associated pinch nan Bidens, including erstwhile Ambassador Baucus, are besides progressive successful perchance shady dealings pinch Beijing. We must put an extremity to nan never-ending methods Communist China utilizes to peddle power successful nan USA."

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) questions Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee proceeding titled Protecting Kids Online: Instagram and Reforms for Young Users connected Capitol Hill, December 8, 2021 successful Washington, DC. The committee questioned Mr. Mosseri astir really nan level impacts nan intelligence wellness and information of teens and children.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

"The ties to money pinch China person ever been there, they are a immense root of money," said Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La. "As these shady business dealings proceed to beryllium revealed, nan American group must cognize nan grade of Joe ‘Big Guy’ Biden’s engagement and what it intends for our nationalist security."

"These caller developments are conscionable a mini cog successful nan large instrumentality of nan Biden crime family’s suspicious activities," he said. "This grounds is precisely why Congress is moving to get ahold of nan 148 bank-triggered suspicious activity reports that are being concealed from us. As nan 118th continues, we will beryllium much profoundly progressive successful nan investigations of their operations. Our apical privilege will beryllium looking into grounds that suggests existent criminal intent and organized crime. We will person each individual identified and each dollar tracked."

Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana, image connected nan left, and President Biden, pictured connected nan right. (Getty Images/AP)

OBAMA AMBASSADOR’S INSTITUTE FUNDED BY CHINESE COMPANY THAT TOUTS FOUNDER AS ‘OUTSTANDING’ CCP MEMBER

The Baucus Institute presently offers a China study overseas program, called nan "Baucus Institute-Wanxiang Fellow Summer Study Abroad Program," which sends University of Montana students to Hangzhou. Co-hosting nan programme pinch nan Baucus Institute is nan China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), which was founded by apical CCP charismatic Tung Chee-hwa.

Tung is vice president of nan Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which is portion of nan CCP’s agreed beforehand system, which operates to beforehand nan party’s interests astatine location and abroad.

According to nan Baucus Institute’s website, nan China study overseas programme is almost afloat funded by CUSEF.

"Thanks to nan generosity of CUSEF, astir each expenses are covered, including lodging, recreation insurance, breakfasts astatine hotels, and group meals," sounds the program application. "However, flights to and from China and expenses specified arsenic overweight luggage and individual purchases are NOT covered."

US Ambassador to China Max Baucus (C) looks connected arsenic US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) introduces his delegation to Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) astatine nan Great Hall of nan People successful Beijing connected January 27, 2016. (Photo in installments should publication ANDY WONG/AFP via Getty Images)

HUNTER BIDEN, CHINA, CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS: MYSTERY SWIRLS AROUND PENN BIDEN CENTER

Students astatine nan Baucus Institute person besides gone connected to activity for Wanxiang Group.

"For nan liking of making a difference, I applied to beryllium a Baucus Climate Scholar," sounds 1 testimonial successful nan institute’s Spring 2022 newsletter. "This summertime I’m excited to beryllium moving pinch Wanxiang Corporation to draught a study regarding sustainable topics and I’m ace enthusiastic astir nan last product!"

The Max S. Baucus Institute and its director, University of Montana rule professor Sam Panarella, did not respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiries asking how overmuch money Wanxiang Group aliases CUSEF has fixed to nan institute aliases whether it receives immoderate backing from nan University of Montana.

The Baucus Institute became a 501(c)(3) past year, meaning it's approved by nan Internal Revenue Service arsenic a tax-exempt, charitable organization, and is simply a taxation write-off for donors.

U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus speaks earlier First Lady Michelle Obama delivers a reside astatine nan Stanford Center astatine Peking University connected March 22, 2014 successful Beijing, China. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

HUNTER BIDEN, AN OBAMA AMBASSADOR AND CHINESE BUSINESSMEN: A ‘VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP’

Baucus, who served arsenic a legislator from Montana from 1978 to 2014, has raised eyebrows for his views connected China.

In May 2020, Baucus went connected CNN International and compared then-President Trump's rhetoric connected China to rhetoric from Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

"The administration's rhetoric is truthful beardown against China, it's complete nan top. We're entering an era which is akin to Joe McCarthy backmost erstwhile he was red-baiting successful nan State Department and attacking communism, and a small spot for illustration Hitler successful nan '30s," Baucus said.

"Now successful nan United States, if anybody says thing reasonable astir China, he aliases she feels intimidated, worried his caput is going to beryllium chopped off. Back successful nan '30s successful Germany, it was very similar," he continued.

(L-R) US Vice President Joe Biden, US Ambassador to China Max Baucus, US President Barack Obama, US Secretary of State John Kerry, and US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew locomotion crossed Pennsylvania Avenue from Blair House to nan White House pursuing a meal pinch China's President Xi Jinping connected September 24, 2015 successful Washington, DC. (Photo in installments should publication MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

In April 2019, Baucus said it was "wrong" to talk nan U.S. "decoupling" from China.

"On nan U.S. side, for example, I americium conscionable concerned that location whitethorn beryllium immoderate reasoning successful nan U.S. that we should forestall China's rise," he told CGTN, a CCP-controlled news channel, successful April 2019. "That is not bully faith. That is bad faith. It will origin problems."

"I think, frankly speaking, it is incorrect to talk astir decoupling because that has very antagonistic connotations," he said astatine nan time.

BIDEN’S NEW CLEAN ENERGY CZAR SAID HE HAS THE ‘HIGHEST REGARD’ FOR CCP OFFICIAL, CALLED HIM ‘FRIEND’

Meanwhile, Wanxiang America Corporation, a U.S. subsidiary of Wanxiang Group, based successful Elgin, Illinois, has go prevalent successful nan American car industry. According to China Daily, a CCP-run newspaper, it has 28 manufacturing operations successful nan U.S.

In 2010, for example, nan authorities of Illinois awarded $4 cardinal successful nationalist costs from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to thief Wanxiang America and New Generation Power build a star powerfulness installation successful Rockford, Illinois.

In February 2014, Wanxiang Group purchased nan U.S. company Fisker Automotive and renamed it Karma Automotive, a luxury electrical vehicles shaper that is headquartered successful California. The 2014 acquisition included converting an abandoned manufacturing installation successful Biden’s location authorities of Delaware.

Biden hosted a White House gathering pinch Wanxiang America President Pin Ni and Wanxiang Resources Co. President Youhong Han connected July 25, 2014, according to White House visitant logs first reported past twelvemonth by The Daily Mail. According to nan CCP-run China Daily, Biden had "invited" nan Wanxiang executives to sojourn respective cities successful nan U.S. astatine nan time, including Washington, Detroit, and Dover, Delaware.

President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, measurement disconnected Air Force One, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, astatine Hancock Field Air National Guard Base successful Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

JOE BIDEN MET WITH AT LEAST 14 OF HUNTER BIDEN'S BUSINESS ASSOCIATES WHILE VICE PRESIDENT

Hunter Biden is besides linked to erstwhile Amb. Baucus and Wanxiang Group.

Hunter antecedently invested successful Fisker, and successful 2014, Hunter purchased a $142,300 Fisker electrical sports cars using costs from his Rosemont Seneca patient that were wired from a Singapore institution controlled by Kazakhstan banker Kenes Rakishev, whose father-in-law was nan politician of nan superior metropolis of Astana astatine nan time, and slope records stated nan intent arsenic "For a Car," according to a 2020 study by Senate Republicans.

A customer of Hunter’s Seneca Global Advisors company, GreatPoint Energy, besides antecedently collaborated pinch Wanxiang successful 2012 for a $1.25 cardinal earthy state works in China, nan New York Post reported successful August.

Less than a week aft nan Wanxiang executives met pinch Hunter’s begetter astatine nan White House successful July 2014, Pin Ni sent Hunter an email astir nan Fisker, according to a reappraisal of emails from Hunter’s infamous abandoned laptop that person been verified by Fox News Digital.

"My sanction is Pin Ni and I americium nan president of Wanxiang America which bought Fisker assets a fewer months ago. Last Friday erstwhile we visited DC, I heard that your Fisker is retired of bid and could not get serviced. Sorry," Pin wrote. "Yesterday nan bankruptcy judge had approved Old Fisker's scheme of liquidation successful which we will beryllium offering warrantee work to each Fisker owners, it would beryllium our grant to get your Fisker fixed."

Less than a week aft nan Wanxiang executives met pinch Hunter’s begetter successful July 2014, nan company's president, Pin Ni, sent Hunter Biden an email astir his Fisker car.  (Fox News Digital)

Hunter past informed Pin that he ended up trading nan car backmost to nan trader "at a large loss," to which Pin responded that he would "make judge your adjacent Fisker will transcend nan expectation," including a smiling emoticon.

Hunter’s car acquisition has been a constituent of dense scrutiny during national prosecutors’ ongoing investigation into alleged taxation fraud by nan first son.

Fox News Digital besides previously reported that Hunter boasted astir having a "very bully relationship" pinch Ambassador Baucus anterior to his business associates arranging aggregate meetings pinch him, according to emails.

Less than 2 months aft Baucus was sworn successful by then-Vice President Joe Biden successful precocious February 2014, Hunter and his business associates astatine BHR Partners began arranging meetings pinch Baucus.

"On Baucus- we person a very very bully narration and I tin inquire thing we need- don't request his champion friend if that's why you are mtg him," Hunter wrote connected April 21, 2014.

On April 21, 2014, Hunter Biden sent an email to Archer insisting that he was really adjacent pinch Baucus and "can inquire thing we need." (Fox News Digital)

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The revelation of nan Baucus Institute's ties to Wanxiang comes days aft nan erstwhile ambassador did an question and reply pinch Politico, wherever he reflected connected his agelong profession successful nan Senate and his domiciled representing nan United States successful China.

During nan interview, Baucus revealed that he had "very bully Chinese friends," positioned "high up successful nan government," who told him during nan 2020 predetermination that they wanted Biden to triumph complete erstwhile President Donald Trump.

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment.

Fox News' Cameron Cawthorne contributed to this report.