WASHINGTON — Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) issued the following statement on Feb. 14:
“Last week, the Chinese government flew a spy balloon over the United States, a violation of our sovereignty that has worsened tensions between our nations. But this is no excuse to misrepresent and cast aspersions on the loyalties of Americans of Chinese descent like me.
“In recent weeks, for example, I have been accused of serving as the honorary president of an organization, the All America Chinese Youth Federation, with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. I am not and have never been a member of this group, and I never gave my permission to be listed as the ‘honorary president’ for it or any other organization like it.
“As a member of Congress, I am legally required to disclose participation on advisory boards or leadership in organizations. As my records indicate, since becoming a member of the House of Representatives, I have only ever served on the board of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) and the APAICS Leadership Network. Both of these organizations are dedicated to creating a pipeline of Asian American leaders in Congress.
“Unfortunately, these efforts to tie Chinese Americans, including myself, to the Chinese Communist Party simply because of our ethnic background is a common and dangerous tactic that has persisted for decades. It is completely void of the facts and a deliberate effort to misinform the public.
“Further, any examination of my record in Congress would show that I have steadfastly supported Taiwan and its democratic institutions and worked to build stronger and deeper relations between the United States and Taiwan.”
Chu voted for H.Res. 104, condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s use of a high-altitude surveillance balloon over U.S. territory as a brazen violation of U.S. sovereignty.
Chu’s previous actions related to Taiwan include, but are not limited to:
• Calling for a Free Trade Agreement between the U.S. and Taiwan
• Participating as a longtime member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus
• Supporting Taiwan’s inclusion in the Indo Pacific Economic Framework
• Supporting the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative for 21st Century Trade
• Receiving a delegation of Taiwanese legislators to the U.S. Capitol in September 2022
• Voting yes in July 2022 on H.R. 7900, the House National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY23, which reaffirmed U.S. support for the defense of Taiwan and Taiwan’s participation in international organizations
• Voting yes in February 2022 on H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act of 2022, which reinforces the U.S.-Taiwan partnership and America’s commitment to Taiwan’s security, democracy, and economy
• Calling on the World Health Organization to readmit Taiwan so that it can help the world respond to the COVID pandemic
• Co-sponsoring H.R. 1145, a bill directing the secretary of state to work toward restoring Taiwan’s observer status in the World Health Organization
• Co-sponsoring H.R. 1853, a bill directing the president to work toward securing Taiwan’s observer status in the International Criminal Police Organization
• Co-sponsoring H.Res. 494, affirming the importance of the Taiwan Relations Act
• Visiting Taiwan as part of a U.S. congressional delegation