CCP-linked firms ramp up lobbying activity, tap Trump-adjacent operatives

At least eight American firms disclosed lobbying agreements with companies fully or partially owned by Chinese entities between March and April, a significant uptick from prior months, as President Donald Trump escalated a trade war with China, according to a Washington Examiner review of congressional and Department of Justice records. 

The China-linked entities identified by the Washington Examiner as having recently hired lobbyists share varying degrees of connection to the Chinese government. The Chinese Communist Party heavily subsidizes some, the Chinese government partially owns others, and a handful have even entered partnerships with the CCP to advance Beijing’s interests. All of them are paying top dollar to influence policymaking in Washington, often with help from those close to Trump’s inner circle.

Ballard Partners and Mercury Public Affairs, two firms that D.C. insiders see as having some of the strongest relationships with the Trump administration, signed new Chinese clients between March and April.