Rep. Chris Smith, Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, will chair a congressional hearing on June 4 regarding the People’s Republic of China’s expanding use of transnational repression and malign influence in the United States, according to a June 3 announcement. The hearing will also address the increasing role of state and local governments in responding to these threats.
The session is set to feature testimony from victims who have been targeted by tactics aimed at intimidating, censoring, and silencing critics within the United States. Lawmakers plan to examine how federal, state, and local authorities can improve collaboration to protect Americans and strengthen law enforcement responses against such challenges posed by Chinese authorities.
The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 4 at 1:30 PM in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. It will also be livestreamed online. Witnesses expected include Stephen J. Cox, Counsel to the Governor of Alaska; Eliot Bostar, Nebraska State Senator; Arthur Liu, Owner of Inter-Pacific Law Group; and Anna Kwok, Board Director and former Executive Director of Hong Kong Democracy Council.
Chairman Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Co-Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ), other members of the commission, and invited witnesses are set to participate in this session focused on countering foreign intimidation efforts targeting individuals within U.S. borders.
Chris Smith is currently serving in Congress representing New Jersey’s 4th district after replacing Frank Thompson in 1981. He was born in Rahway, New Jersey in 1953 and resides in Manchester Township. Smith graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1975, according to his official office.
