Firm Behind Planned Facility Near Military Bases Confirms Company Has Links To Chinese Communists

The president of a tech company planning a factory in Kansas near two military bases said some of its parent company employees are members of the Chinese Communist Party.

Shawn Montgomery, president of Cnano USA, confirmed the CCP links on March 4 before the Kansas House Committee on Commerce, Labor, and Economic Development.

Montgomery was testifying against House Bill 2766, which is designed to protect military installations by restricting foreign real estate purchases.

Calling Cnano USA “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner in January expressed concern about the Johnson County location of the proposed 330,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, according to the Kansas Reflector.

LaTurner said it would be too close to Fort Leavenworth in Kansas and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

Despite Montgomery’s statements regarding “misinformation” about Cnano wanting to steal U.S. military secrets and his pride in being an American, several committee members raised objections.

Republican state Rep. Patrick Penn brought up the reported CCP ties of Cnano USA’s parent company, Cnano Jiangsu.

“Cnano Jiangsu operates a CCP party branch with more than two dozen members and participates in CCP-backed initiatives including [the 863 Program],” Penn said.

“[The 863 Program] — which has sent money to the parent company, Cnano Jiangsu — [has] been a major CCP initiative to advance China’s military and civilian science technology, and according to a report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, it provides funding to clandestine acquirement of American technology [and] sensitive economic information,” he continued.