Republican officials in Kansas are moving to prevent the construction of a manufacturing plant in the state after the Daily Caller News Foundation reported on the project’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to The Kansas City Star.
The office of Republican Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and state lawmakers are looking to block Cnano Technology USA Inc.’s (Cnano USA) plans to build a subsidized $95 million facility in Johnson City, Kansas, within about 35 miles from Fort Leavenworth, and 70 miles from the “only operational base for the B-2,” Whiteman Air Force Base, according to The Kansas City Star.
Cnano USA — a wholly-owned subsidiary of C-Nano Technology Co., Ltd., which, in turn, is an entity created by China-based Cnano Jiangsu Technology Co., Ltd. (Cnano Jiangsu) — has extensive ties to the CCP by way of Cnano Jiangsu, as reported by the DCNF.
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“There are serious allegations regarding the leaders of Cnano participating in state-sponsored theft of intellectual property and data. This is an issue that requires coordination on both the federal and state level,” Republican Kansas House Majority Leader Chris Croft said of the push to block Cnano USA’s facility, according to the Star.
Kobach’s office is also exploring potential options to take against the company as well, according to the Star. On Friday, Kobach wrote a letter to the Johnson County Commission, asking them to rescind the incentive package they have offered the company to attract the facility.
Cnano Jiangsu employed dozens of CCP members as of 2022, and the company promotes CCP doctrine, the DCNF’s investigation found.
Cnano Jiangsu has also received millions of dollars from the CCP to engage in state-backed initiatives, including one that the U.S. government has accused of stealing American technology and intellectual property, sometimes for the benefit of the Chinese military.
Cnano Jiangsu has also interacted with the CCP’s United Front Work Department (UFWD) on several occasions, the DCNF found in its investigation. The UFWD carries out “united front work,” which is defined as a “blend of engagement, influence activities and intelligence operations” that the CCP employs to shape policies to China’s advantage and “gain access to advanced foreign technology,” according to the Select Committee on the CCP.
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In June, Johnson County officials green-lit a 10-year, 75% tax break for Cnano USA’s facility, according to the Star.
Prior to state officials sounding off on the Cnano USA facility, Republican Kansas Rep. Jake LaTurner wrote a letter to key Biden administration officials to investigate the company for its ties to the CCP, a development also prompted by the DCNF’s investigation.
Neither Cnano USA nor Cnano Jiangsu responded immediately to requests for comment.
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