China Tech Threat founder Roslyn Layton was recently interviewed by One America News Network to discuss the 2019 Minzhi Research Institute study that ranked every U.S. governor based on their friendliness to China. China Tech Threat released a report yesterday with the first full Mandarin-to-English translation of the study. Roslyn explained that the Chinese government has a particular interest in state-level policy, as many China-owned companies currently have contracts with the states, including technology brands Lenovo and Lexmark.
Dr. Layton then went on to explain the significance of these China-owned tech companies having contracts with state governments, as “people don’t know that the Chinese government owns these brands, so any data collected by that technology can go into the hands of the Chinese government. They’re making a database of Americans” that can be used to further engage in espionage against American citizens and create a social credit system.
OAN’s Christina Bobb concluded the story by saying that “Dr. Roslyn and ChinaTechThreat.com continue to keep an eye on China’s tactics and collection of American information. Be aware that our Chinese technology is sending all of our information right back to China.” It is important that U.S. news media, experts, and policymakers further explore the Minzhi Research Institute and other Chinese government-affiliated policy researchers. They clearly have a vested interest in U.S. governors’ attitude towards China, so greater transparency both in their government connections, as well as government connections China companies have, is needed.