Republican representatives are urging the FBI to investigate Dominic Ng, a banker with ties to alleged Chinese Communist Party (CCP) front groups who is currently appointed to represent U.S. business interests in Asia, according to a letter obtained by the Daily Caller.
President Joe Biden appointed Ng, who is the CEO of East West Bank in California, to represent the U.S. as chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Council (ABAC) in 2022.
An investigation by the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) revealed that prior to his appointment, Ng had donated $100,000 to the Biden Victory Fund as well as $35,500 to the Democratic National Committee. Ng’s donations and appointments coincide with his membership in two groups alleged to be fronts for Chinese government intelligence agencies.
“We request the FBI investigate and provide a report to Congress on the extent of Mr. Ng’s knowledge of sensitive information, as well as any potential violations of The Espionage Act,” the letter states. It was signed by Republican Reps. Lance Gooden, Keith Self, Doug LaMalfa, Lauren Boebert, Tom Tiffany, and Ben Cline.
Ng reportedly served as “executive director” at the China Overseas Exchange Commission (COEA) from 2013 to 2017, as well as with the Chinese Overseas Friendship Association (COFA) from 2019 to the present day.
DCNF confirmed this by matching Ng’s Chinese name, Wu Jianmin, between the East Bank’s website and current membership lists with COEA and COFA.
COEA and COFA merged in 2019 and are considered front groups for the CCP.
COFA’s website states that the organization was founded by the United Front Work Department (UFWD), which strives to gather intelligence and sway those with political, academic or commercial influence.
Ng’s dual placements create concern over potential conflicts of interest. As chair, Ng is tasked with making recommendations to APEC leaders. APEC is reportedly the primary venue for Chinese trade, with 70% of all trade occurring between APEC members, according to China Briefing.
In response to these concerns, California Reps. Judy Chu, Mark Takano and Ted Lieu, as well as Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), released a statement regarding the letter.
READ MORE: Dem Rep. Chu gave awards to members of alleged CCP front groups: Report
The representatives, all members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), are opposed to an investigation into whether Ng’s appointment violated The Espionage Act.
The statement reads, in part, “Dominic Ng, who is Chinese American, has undergone an extensive vetting process and sworn an oath to defend the Constitution and serve the American public. We are extremely disturbed and outraged, but not surprised, that some of our Republican colleagues in Congress would undermine his candidacy based on loose claims of association. No Chinese Americans — indeed no Americans — should face suspicions of disloyalty or treason based on their ethnicity, nation of origin, or that of their family members.”
