Press Releases

Last week, Representative Jack Bergman was joined by fellow Michigan Republican Members of Congress in sending a letter to Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Lloyd Austin, demanding answers and accountability after several breaches of military bases by Chinese nationals.

This letter comes after federal prosecutors charged five Chinese nationals on October 2, 2024 with crimes in connection to trespassing on the Camp Grayling training facility during Northern Strike – one of DOD’s largest reserve component readiness exercises.

As the Members explained, this security breach was not an isolated incident:

“In recent years, Chinese nationals have been found trespassing at military installations and other sensitive sites across the U.S., including a Naval station in Florida, a shipyard in Virginia, a Marine Corps base in California, and an arctic warfare training base in Alaska. The alarming rise in such breaches suggests a coordinated effort by the Chinese Communist Party to gauge the security of sites critical to U.S. national security, potentially in anticipation for an attack from within the homeland.”

“We know that weakness only invites aggression, which is why my colleagues and I are demanding swift action from our Defense Department to review and bolster the security of our sensitive sites. With a raging border crisis and a resulting increase in Chinese national encounters at our southern border, our Nation can’t afford inaction on this issue. We must ensure accountability from the DoD to avoid any further incidents that could embolden and inform our enemies,” Rep. Bergman stated.

“After the disturbing arrests of five Chinese nationals outside of Camp Grayling, Michiganders deserve answers,” said Rep. Tim Walberg. “I’m proud to join my Michigan Republican colleagues in demanding these answers and accountability from the Department of Defense. Beyond this, we cannot allow our colleges and universities to be used by adversaries to undermine our national security.”

“China is our greatest geopolitical threat, and the repeated attempts by Chinese nationals to gain access to American military installations across the country are incredibly alarming,” said Rep. Lisa McClain. “The incident at Camp Grayling was not a one-off event, and the Department of Defense needs to improve its security protocols to prevent further incursions and national security risks.  We need answers from the DoD on how they plan to ensure the integrity and protection of our installations.”

“This incident demands answers from the Defense Department. It also demands answers from Governor Whitmer. She is the commander in chief of the Michigan National Guard, and she has yet to act or comment on this security threat against our men and women in uniform. Finally, U-M must end its joint research institute with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the program these individuals were a part of when they came to Michigan,” Rep. John Moolenaar stated.

Rep. Bill Huizenga added, "The overt attempts by the CCP to weaponize its diaspora community to undermine US national security must be addressed. This is no longer a theoretical exercise. The University of Michigan has now been used on multiple occasions as a proxy for nefarious CCP activity. These actions demonstrate that Congress must re-examine the relationship between American colleges and universities and CCP entities."

“The Biden-Harris Administration has failed our national security, and the crisis at Camp Grayling is the most recent example. Our enemies no longer fear us, thanks to this administration. Their open borders and weak-on-China policies have emboldened our peer adversaries. The Department of Defense must provide us with an accurate and clear assessment of the incident to reassure our fellow Americans and Michiganders," Rep. John James concluded.

Read the full letter here.