Republican Lawmakers Move to Protect America From Chinese ‘Sister Cities’ Exploitation

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 13: U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-WV) questions Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, former head of security at Twitter, during a Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on data security at Twitter, on Capitol Hill, September 13, 2022 in Washington, DC. Zatko claims that Twitter's widespread security failures pose a security risk to user's privacy and information and could potentially endanger national security. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Republican lawmakers are calling for an investigation into how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) may be using “sister cities” to “push their geopolitical objectives” and spy on the United States.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced the “Sister City Transparency Act” alongside Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) on April 18.