Shaheen Leads Bipartisan Letter Calling on Secretary Austin to Take Action to Address Targeted Recruitment of Service Members by China
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, today led a bipartisan letter with U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urging the Department of Defense to take immediate action to deter the targeted recruitment of separating service members being conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and backed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The letter comes after Shaheen secured legislation in the Senate-version of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act that would prohibit separating service members from employment with the security and military services of the CCP. The letter responds to a recent Air Force memo detailing the PLA effort to recruit service members separating from the military in order to learn the sensitive military tactics, techniques and procedures used by the U.S. military.
In part, the Senators wrote: “As a result of these concerning actions to lure service members and veterans into service with the PLA, we drafted legislation that was included in the U.S. Senate passed Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act that would prohibit former service members from seeking employment with the security and military services of the CCP and other countries of concern.”
The Senators continued: “This issue requires immediate attention. Therefore, we urge you to take all action that is immediately available to resist this targeted recruitment of veterans and separating service members.”
The Senators concluded the letter by requesting a briefing on the steps the Department is taking to counter foreign government recruitment of separating service members by December 15th.
Full text of the letter can be found here.
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