The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security has released an updated ‘China Threat Snapshot’ report, which examines Chinese cyber espionage and intellectual property theft. This update is part of the committee’s renewed efforts to oversee the protection of U.S. intellectual property, ports, and critical infrastructure. The report highlights over 60 instances of espionage by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on U.S. soil over the past four years, including cases of transmission of sensitive military information, theft of trade secrets, transnational repression operations, and obstruction of justice.
“The PRC has gained significant ground in its information warfare on American soil over the past four years,” Mark E. Green, a Republican from Tennessee and chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security said in a Wednesday media statement. “If you think the U.S. military and our government are the only targets of the Chinese Communist Party, think again. The shadow of Beijing’s malign influence falls upon American businesses, university campuses, and the critical infrastructure we rely on––not to mention those on U.S. soil who dare to speak out against the CCP. Thankfully, the Trump administration has put Beijing on notice; the days of freely undermining our sovereignty are over.”
“The People’s Republic of China is more than just a distant geopolitical adversary; the Chinese Communist Party is working to undermine U.S. sovereignty in our own backyards,” August Pfluger, a Republican from Texas and Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman, said. “The extent of the CCP’s foothold in our communities is startling. Under the chaos and weakness of the previous administration, law enforcement in my district apprehended a ‘High-Value Target’ from China after they crossed the Southwest border illegally. The courageous dissident and pastor Bob Fu was threatened with ‘elimination’ by agents of the CCP at his home in Midland.”
Pfluger added “Enough is enough. With strength back in the White House and Texas leading the way, Beijing’s malign influence will no longer fly under the radar.”
Last November, the House Committee published a Cyber Threat Snapshot examining growing threats posed by malign nation-states and criminal networks to the homeland and American data. Identifying some of the recent notable attacks, the report zeroed in on the Salt Typhoon attack by Chinese hackers, who reportedly infiltrated backdoors in major U.S. internet service providers; and activities by the Volt Typhoon adversaries, who compromised U.S. critical infrastructure for at least five years, targeting the transportation, telecommunications, and energy sectors.
The updated House Committee report comes as the administration of President Donald Trump is already poised to face this threat head-on. In his confirmation hearing before the Senate, Secretary of State Marco Rubio named the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as our greatest geopolitical adversary, saying, “Much of what we have to do to combat China is here at home.” In Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s confirmation hearing, she detailed the CCP’s ‘extremely dangerous and robust cyber espionage campaigns, highlighting how China works to access Americans’ private information, in part, for the opportunity to ‘control our critical infrastructure.’
The House Committee report detailed that from February 2021 to December 2024, more than 60 CCP-related espionage cases have been documented across 20 states. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), roughly 80 percent of economic espionage prosecutions allege conduct that would benefit China, and there is at least some nexus to China in around 60 percent of all trade secret theft cases. The total cost of the CCP’s theft of American intellectual property amounts to as much as $6,000 for the average American family of four after taxes.
Most recently, on Dec. 18, 2024, a Chinese national and resident of New York City pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an illegal agent for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in connection with opening and operating an undeclared overseas police station in lower Manhattan for the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security. In 2023, Chairmen Green and Pfluger sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security and FBI, requesting information on these clandestine ‘police stations.’
In 2024, the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence received testimony from Dr. Bob Fu, a Chinese dissident and victim of heinous acts of transnational repression by the CCP. Fu’s testimony informed the introduction of three bipartisan bills to counter transnational repression on U.S. soil, which were advanced out of the Committee last Congress.
On Dec. 11, 2024, a Chinese national and lawful permanent resident of California was arrested for flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base and taking photographs. He was arrested at San Francisco International Airport before attempting to board a flight to China. Unauthorized use of unmanned aerial systems can pose a threat to not only sensitive sites but critical infrastructure. Chairman Green has led the charge to address the threats posed by drones in our communities from America’s adversaries.
The previous administration also oversaw the largest influx of Chinese nationals illegally crossing the Southwest border than any previous administration. Over the last four years, Border Patrol agents have recorded more than 64,000 apprehensions of Chinese nationals—more than all those recorded from FY07-20 combined. While the motivating factors driving Chinese nationals to cross the border are multifaceted, there are glaring security vulnerabilities to consider.
The House Committee report pointed out that on Nov. 19, last year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order (Executive Order No. GA-48) to direct all state agencies and public institutions of higher education to harden state systems and protect intellectual property, critical infrastructure, and private data from being accessed by U.S. foreign adversaries like the CCP. A day earlier, Governor Abbott issued an executive order (Executive Order No. GA-47) that enabled law enforcement agencies throughout the state to investigate and charge individuals who commit acts of transnational repression on behalf of the PRC and the CCP.
Earlier this month, the House Committee convened a full committee hearing to address strategies for strengthening America’s cyber workforce. As the federal government and critical infrastructure sectors face increasingly sophisticated cyber intrusions from adversaries like China, Congress must prioritize addressing the root of the problem: a significant cybersecurity workforce gap. Repeatedly, public and private sector partners have emphasized the need for a fresh perspective on attracting, training, and retaining cyber defenders.
