Congressman Calls out Sister Cities as Communist Plot

U.S. Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana on Tuesday asked the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel to withdraw from a sister-city agreement with a Chinese municipality and to refuse trips organized by groups linked to China’s ruling party.

His letter came after Washington Post reporting detailing China’s renewed focus on diplomacy with local U.S. leaders featured a trip former Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard took to China. During that tour, Mr. Brainard signed a sister-city agreement with Xiangyang.

“China has successfully leveraged sister-city agreements to force American and foreign politicians to endorse its one-China policy and to oppose policies that could harm China,” Banks wrote. The policy asserts that Taiwan, governed by an opposing party, is part of China.

At a select committee meeting on Tuesday, Banks said former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned local officials of accepting gifts.   “When the Chinese Communist Party shows up at your school and offers a free swing set, it is not because they care about the health of your children … In the end, it is about them, not us,” Pompeo said. “… This is an effort at every level for the Chinese Communist Party to have the capacity to influence our government. The Chinese
Communist Party is truly evil.”

Mr. Brainard, however, told Current in Carmel that Mr. Banks’ comments are “symptomatic of the dumbing down of America.”

“Representative Banks’ response is simply immature and impractical,” he said. “China and the United States make up the two largest economies in the world. We have to have a dialogue, and we need to have it at all levels. It doesn’t mean we back down on anything that’s important, but it’s critical that we continue to talk at all levels, not just the state department.”