| --- |
| title: "House Oversight: Estate Documents (Nov 12) (HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_020478)" |
| source: "House Oversight: Estate Documents (Nov 12)" |
| sourceUrl: "https://www.justice.gov/epstein" |
| date: "2026-01-01" |
| category: "House Oversight" |
| eftaNumber: "HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_020478" |
| ocrPages: 1 |
| ocrChars: 2333 |
| ocrElapsed: 0.0 |
| parseTier: "external-legacy" |
| engine: "engine undisclosed (ep-nov-12.greg.technology mirror)" |
| externalSource: "greg-ep-nov-12" |
| externalLicense: "not granted" |
| externalCredit: "ep-nov-12.greg.technology" |
| externalUrl: "https://ep-nov-12.greg.technology" |
| --- |
| |
| SECTION 2 |
| State and Local Governments |
| In late 2017, an American city in the mid-Atlantic region was invited to form a sister |
| city relationship with a town in southern China. The American partner city was home |
| to a large number of national security professionals and university and government |
| scientists, including many of PRC origin. The partnership was proposed and |
| shepherded by the manager of a for-profit Chinese "exchanges" company—a woman |
| of PRC origin. She was assisted by an American citizen of PRC origin who was running |
| for a position on the local school board. |
| In a briefing, an American China expert told the local sister city committee that there |
| was no reason not to explore a partnership, provided the American side had defined |
| goals and was aware of Beijing's increasingly repressive domestic policies, its growing |
| suspicions of US influence, and its well-funded efforts to increase its influence overseas. |
| The man running for the local school board objected to this characterization and |
| pointed out that China's constitution gives the CCP paramount authority in China. |
| After a long debate, the new sister city agreement was signed in the fall of 2018. |
| Some Americans involved objected to China's insistence that all sister city activities |
| be carried out "in accordance with the principles on the establishment of diplomatic |
| relations between the United States of America and the People's Republic of China |
| (ARE ET EZAN)," because this seemed to be a reference to the One China |
| Principle, which might be invoked to preclude exchanges with Taiwan. Despite these |
| objections, the phrase appeared in the signed agreement because the Chinese side said |
| that the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries required |
| that all sister city agreements include such language and the US side did not want to |
| derail the agreement by insisting otherwise. |
| The story of this sister city agreement illustrates the challenges and opportunities |
| "sub-national entities" (local governments, cities, and states) face in the United States |
| when dealing with a China intent on maximizing its influence in America and across |
| the globe. As this report details in other sections, the age of innocent engagement |
| is over, and this is now true for American local officials as well as for representatives |
| HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_020478 |
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