A staffer's short-lived promotion in the House of Representatives' powerful Foreign Affairs Committee caused a stir Wednesday over his past lobbying for sanctioned Chinese drone maker DJI.
Newsweek reached out to Mark Aitken and the House Foreign Affairs Committee with written requests for comment.
Why It Matters
Washington has in recent years stepped up scrutiny over Chinese companies in recent years, citing concerns over their ties to the U.S. rival's military and Beijing's requirement that Chinese firms disclose information upon request.
The Department of Defense has designated DJI, the world's largest drone manufacturer a "military company" along with tech giants such as Huawei and Tencent. The Shenzhen-based company sued the Pentagon in October, arguing it is "neither owned nor controlled by the Chinese military and does not manufacture military products."
What To Know
In a now-deleted post on LinkedIn, Aitken announced on Wednesday: "I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position as staff director, Subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific (Majority) at the House Foreign Affairs Committee!" reported Politico.
China watchers expressed consternation on social media over his previous post as vice president for public affairs at Shein. The fast fashion e-retailer has been accused of relying on forced labor in its supply chain.
Aitken also generated over 2.8 million for the dronemaker from his lobbying between April 2020 and July 2021, according to the Senate's Lobbying Disclosure Act records.
A spokesperson for the House Foreign Affairs Committee told Politico Aitken no longer works for the committee, calling it a "confidential personnel matter."
The U.S. Treasury Department in 2021 placed DJI on an investment blacklist, barring Americans from buying or selling its securities, alleging company surveillance drones aided in the oppression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. This was a largely symbolic move since DJI is not publicly traded.
While DJI drones have been used by Russian and Ukrainian forces, the company says it opposes military use and halted sales to both countries after Moscow's 2022 invasion of its western neighbor.
What People Are Saying
Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute think tank, told Newsweek: "Members of Congress have rightly sought to prohibit the use of DJI drones at the federal and state level. Hiring former DJI staffers into positions of influence isn't in America's national security interest. The possibility of staffers bending the legislative process to benefit prior employers is a real problem if the prior employer is affiliated with the People's Liberation Army."
Gabriel Wildau, managing director, China political risk analysis, at consulting firm Teneo, wrote on X: "What's the underlying principle here? Should anyone who ever worked for a Chinese company be barred from U.S. government service? Tencent is also a military company according to that list."
What's Next?
The National Defense Authorization Act, passed by Congress in December, has given DJI one year to prove its products do not pose a national security threat. Failure to do so will see its drones banned in the U.S.
About the writer
Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian ... Read more