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Rep. Cheney, alongside Senators Tim Scott, Chris Coons, and Rep. Jim Clyburn, received the Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC) 2021 Statesmanship Award. Among the sponsors of the award are the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF).
Cheney – a frequent critic of Donald Trump and member of the House’s January 6th Commission – also participated in a virtual conversation with the FMC, which has a long record of collaboration with CUSEF.
CUSEF was founded by the Vice-Chairman of the “highest-ranking entity overseeing” China’s United Front, which the U.S.-China Security and Economic Review Commissionidentifies as Beijing’s operation “to co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party” and “influence foreign governments to take actions or adopt positions supportive of Beijing.”
The U.S. State Department compares the United Front to the Chinese regime’s “magic weapon” to advance its preferred policies.
CUSEF has deployed this tactic on American journalists and former Congressmen, offering free trips to the country in exchange for “favorable coverage,” according to Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) filings. The trips function as part of a broader effort to “effectively disseminate positive messages to the media, key influencers and opinion leaders, and the general public” regarding the Chinese Communist Party.
The Committee of 100, which appears to be similarly tied to the Chinese Communist Party and its influence operations, also sponsored the event.
Rep. Cheney’s decision to accept the CUSEF-funded award follows The National Pulse unearthing her husband’s employment at a law firm deeply in business with the Chinese Communist Party.
