Thanks to the 2020 election we are all about to find out just how in bed the Democrat party is with China. The liberal group American Bridge 21 Century is an activist group that is expected to spend millions of dollars attacking President Trump. It was been discovered that they accepted a gift in 2018 of 450 shares from Baidu, a Chinese tech company affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party.
America Bridge is an opposition research group founded by liberal operative David Brock. The gift from Baidu received by Brock’s group was worth $101,037 according to IRS filings. Baidu is “beholden to the CCP” and it is concerning that a political group is taking money from a company so closely connected to the CCP.
The Washington Free Beacon reported:
Baidu is beholden to China’s communist regime to a greater extent than other Chinese companies. An American political group profiting from such a company could pose problems at a time when tensions between the United States and China are high, particularly in regards to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The party calls, you act, or you risk disappearing,” said Derek Scissors, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute who focuses on the Chinese economy. “Further, Baidu is under a greater degree of party control than the average Chinese private firm because Baidu’s business is basically dissemination of information.”
“Moreover, holding Baidu stock automatically involves a bit of rooting for China,” Scissors said. “Baidu is a prominent firm that attracts more interest when China is seen to be thriving. A strong American economy is generally considered good for Google. Same thing.”
Brock’s group is expected to spend at least $50 million during the 2020 election against President Trump and their sister group American Bridge PAC just partnered with another pro-Biden PAC forming a $175 million effort.
America Bridge has not commented on the gift and records did not indicate they sold the “gift.” Scissors believes that America Bridge should sell their stock if they haven’t already.
