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By James Bickerton
News Reporter
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Eight Republican Senators are urging the FBI and the Department of Justice to investigate reports the Chinese state is secretly operating seven "surveillance centers" across the United States, which are intended to "intimidate and surveil Chinese Americans with dissenting opinions."
The call came via an open letter addressed to Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen and FBI Director Christopher Wray. The effort was led by Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn.
The development comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing, with the rival superpowers clashing over the status of Taiwan, sovereignty over the South China Sea, human rights disputes, and surveillance. In February, a suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina, after it had made its way across much of the continental United States. In June, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited China in a bid to reduce tensions, making him the first top U.S. diplomat to do so in five years.
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The letter references a Daily Caller investigation which said Chinese intelligence agencies are operating within seven "service centers" across the U.S. whilst maintaining close links with law enforcement agencies in Beijing.
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These reportedly operate as 'Overseas Chinese Service Centers (OCSCs)' out of U.S.-based non-profits, which state they promote Chinese culture and support the country's citizens.
The Senators wrote: "These OCSCs—which were apparently established to 'promote Chinese culture and assist Chinese citizens living abroad'—reportedly coordinated with China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the Chinese national police agency.
"The MPS also serves as an intelligence operative for the CCP [ruling Chinese Communist Party], which is why these allegations are so troubling and merit immediate investigation. The CCP's intent is clear with its operation of these OCSCs: to intimidate and surveil Chinese Americans with dissenting opinions."
Along with requesting an investigation, the GOP Senators asked the FBI and the Department of Justice whether they agree the OCSCs had been set up to "coerce and surveil Chinese American dissidents," and whether they are aware of any plans by Beijing to expand the program into other cities.
In addition to Blackburn, the letter was signed by Senator John Cornyn, Senator Deb Fischer, Senator Kevin Cramer, Senator Bill Hagerty, Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Mike Braun, and Senator Steve Daines.
Newsweek has contacted Senator Blackburn, and the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. for comment, via a contact form on her official website and email respectively.
On June 3, a Chinese warship came within 150 feet of a U.S. destroyer in the Taiwan Strait, leading the American navy to accuse their Chinese counterparts of executing "maneuvers in an unsafe manner."
On Saturday, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Stavridis shared a clip of the incident on Twitter, warning such events could lead to open war.
He said: "As a former sea captain of a similar U.S. destroyer, it almost made my heart stop to watch this video. This is wildly unprofessional and provocative behavior on the part of the Chinese Navy. Wars start with incidents like this. Shame on the PLA [Chinese People's Liberation Army] Navy."
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