Recently, United States Senator Marco Rubio of the Republican Party announced the introduction of a new bill named the “Confronting CCP Malign Influence Act of 2024.” This legislation, unveiled on Thursday, requires the Director of National Intelligence to develop a public report disclosing the corruption and wealth of the Chinese Communist Party leadership.
Rubio, a federal senator from Florida, stated that the proposal aims to “expose the corrupt nature of that regime to the world.” He emphasized that the Chinese Communist Party is determined to disrupt the United States and its interests on a global scale.
The proposed bill mandates that the Director of National Intelligence must, in consultation with the Secretary of State, draft a public report within 90 days detailing the corruption and wealth of Chinese Communist Party members, including party leaders. Furthermore, the Director of National Intelligence or their designee must testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence within 180 days on the conclusions of the report.
Rubio emphasized in his statement, “Our nation’s greatest adversary is communist China, and the American people must recognize the complex reality that a Beijing-led new world order will pose. Through economic, social, or military coercion, we are witnessing China intensifying efforts to replace our country’s global leadership status.”
In a parallel move in the House, Republican federal Congressman Andy Ogles of Tennessee also introduced a corresponding bill. However, introducing a bill is just the first step in the U.S. legislative process. The House and the Senate must each pass identical versions of the bill before it can be sent to the President for enactment.
Earlier, on June 9, The Washington Times reported that the Congressional Research Service (CRS) released an important report in Washington in May, revealing the hidden wealth of Chinese Communist Party officials at all levels, from leaders to local officials. These officials include CCP leader Xi Jinping, the 205 members of the Central Committee, 25 members of the Politburo, and 7 members of the Standing Committee of the Politburo, as well as local officials from 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 4 municipalities directly under the central government.
The report indicates that top Chinese Communist leaders are engaged in corrupt activities, using family members to conceal corruption and hoarding hundreds of millions of dollars in wealth.
Furthermore, the report highlights four types of corruption within the CCP, including declared corruption, quick money, major theft, and petty theft. Declared corruption is the predominant form, with experts describing it as capitalists bribing powerful CCP officials for privileges such as cheap financing, land allocations, monopolies, procurement contracts, and tax breaks. Chinese businessmen often bribe “party-state bosses,” with the benefits outweighing the costs of these bribes.