Blackburn Leads Colleagues in Probing D.C. Mayor Bowser on Status of Sister City Relationship with Beijing

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) probed Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser on the status of the District's Sister City relationship with Beijing after the agreement was removed from the city's website in August without any formal announcement.

The letter follows Senator Blackburn's legislation introduced earlier this year that would prohibit Washington, D.C., from maintaining Sister City relationships with jurisdictions in foreign adversary countries such as Communist China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

D.C. Must Be Transparent About Current Sister City Relationship Status with Beijing

"We are writing to inquire about the District's Sister City relationship with Beijing, China. Earlier this year, Washington, D.C. was listed as having an active sister city agreement with Beijing on the official D.C. Office of the Secretary website. However, as of August, thepublicized list no longer includes Beijing. Given the national security implications, we believe it is important to ensure that all formal and informal agreements between U.S. and foreign municipalities are not exploited by foreign governments-particularly the People's Republic of China-as vehicles to advance soft-power objectives, disseminate propaganda, or suppress dissenting voices."

Blackburn Requests Answers on Whether Sister City Agreement Has Been Terminated and What D.C. Is Doing to Mitigate Security Risks of International Partnerships

"To that end, we respectfully request information on the following… whether the District's sister city agreement with Beijing has been formally terminated or merely suspended; a copy of any memorandum of understanding, contract, or agreement-past or present-between the District of Columbia and any Chinese governmental entity, including the City of Beijing; and whether the District is currently reviewing or reassessing other international partnerships to ensure mitigation against potential risks."

Click here to read the full letter.

RELATED

• Blackburn Introduces Bills to Expose Foreign Influence and Protect U.S. Property

• Blackburn, Tillis Introduce Bill to Prevent Chinese Communist Party from Exploiting Sister City Economic Partnerships for Radical Agenda