Jack Lew, President Joe Biden’s top candidate for ambassador to Israel, hosted Chinese Communist Party officials as chairman of the board of directors at the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
On its website, the organization says it is a nonprofit educational organization that “promotes understanding and cooperation between the United States and Greater China in the belief that sound and productive Sino-American relations serve vital American and world interests.”
The Washington Free Beacon pointed out that as chairman, Lew has hosted top CCP officials and met in Beijing with China’s foreign minister, who during their meeting blamed the United States for creating the “root causes” of tension in the United States-China relationship.
Lew’s views on United States-China relations could impact his Israel ambassadorship, the Free Beacon observed. The United States is increasingly competing for influence with China around the world, including in the Middle East.
“Individuals with strong links to China, including through organizations like the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations or Asia Society, should have no place in U.S. politics,” said Anders Corr, an intelligence analyst and publisher of the Journal of Political Risk.
Leaders from the organization often appear on Chinese state television to criticize American foreign policy toward China, while largely ignoring Beijing’s aggression.
During a meeting on June 26 with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, Lew stated that the United States and China are interdependent and that the economic “decoupling” of the two countries would fail. Lew’s remarks came after Wang blamed the United States for the “root causes” of tensions with China. Wang called on the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations to “continue to stabilize the China-U.S. relationship from deterioration, advance friendly exchanges, and disseminate true stories of mutually beneficial cooperation.”
Lew served as secretary of the treasury under President Barack Obama. Lew previously served as White House chief of staff.