The China Daily newspaper box is placed with other free daily newspapers in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, U.S., Dec. 6, 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (D-Calif.) recently asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to ban Chinese Communist propaganda newspapers from being distributed in the U.S. Congress.
In a Jan. 8 letter to Pelosi, Hinson said she received a copy of the Chinese Communist propaganda newspaper in her official House Office Building office despite the fact that neither she nor her staff had requested it, writing that “this dangerous propaganda [media] is owned, paid for and written by the Chinese Communist Party.”
“I am appalled that this is happening. I am writing to insist that you, with the control of the Speaker of the House, stop the Chinese Communist Party from distributing its state-run publications within our hallowed halls. This offensive garbage should not be automatically distributed to congressional offices in the name of the American taxpayer.”
China Daily, based in Beijing, China, and affiliated with the CCP’s Propaganda Department, has registered as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agent Registration Act and is classified as a foreign mission, indicating that it is a propaganda organ of the Chinese Communist Party. Although the foreign agent law has barred China Daily employees from the congressional press gallery, the newspaper has found a loophole to access members of Congress.
In addition, China Daily also disseminates information to millions of Americans outside of Congress through inserts in major newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and Foreign Policy.
Congressman Singson told the Washington Free Beacon, “How can we expect the American people to trust Congress to confront the Chinese Communist Party when its dangerous propaganda is delivered to our doorstep? I immediately wrote to the Speaker and asked her to address this issue.”
Pelosi’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Fellow U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Okla.) has previously pushed for the China Daily not to be distributed to members of Congress.
Banks said on Jan. 2, 2020, “What people don’t know is that every morning, we get a packet of periodicals and newspapers, and while that’s helpful to me as a policymaker, it’s a dangerous precedent for the China Daily to be included in that packet almost every day.”
“Not just because it’s a rag of propaganda, but because of who owns it and how it’s paid for. This newspaper appears on every congressman’s doorstep, is distributed to every congressman’s team, and is often left there for constituents who visit the office to read. That’s the ultimate purpose of these newspapers, it’s almost like giving them recognition as legitimate news sources, which they are not.”
According to House officials, the company that sends publication packages to lawmakers is called the National News Agency and is based in Maryland.
In an interview, Dave Gasperetti, vice president of public relations for National News Agency, denied that China Daily was one of the publications the company distributed to congressional offices and said, “The (periodicals and newspapers) we provide are proprietary (publications), and I don’t have to tell you (that information). “
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