Press Release

November 3, 2020
National Committee of
Asian American Republicans
T: 954-233-0672 x 527
E: service@asian.gop

STOP accusing Chinese American never-Trumpers as Chinese Assets

RedState, an online blog, posted an article on 11/2 titled 'EXCLUSIVE: Alleged Chinese Asset Tried to Penetrate RNC, Now Runs Asian.GOP Sham Org Stumping for Biden' accusing me being a Chinese asset trying to penetrate RNC. https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2020/11/02/exclusive-alleged-chinese-asset-tried-to-penetrate-rnc-now-runs-asian-gop-sham-org-stumping-for-biden-n273734

RedState and its author has never contacted me for facts. The article is filled with lies, false accusations, and words like 'might have', 'perhaps', 'apparently'. Significant part of the article described Chinese government agencies which I have never had any encounter with. The linking was a piece of story in the article : 'Van Etten confronted Li, asking why he was at the UFWD's offices. Angrily, he demanded to know who had given her that information, but she refused to tell him. Van Etten continued: When I confronted him, he told me that he went there because his father was coming to the United States and he had to do some paperwork for that. I told him I knew that wasn't true. Then he told me that he has to work with the UFWD because he still has his business in China.' I have NEVER had this conversation with the RNC Commiteewoman Ms Van Etten, whom I used to respect. It is doubtful whether this story is fabricated by RedState. I have NEVER be in a Chinese UFWD office, NEVER had any encounter with them. My parents came to US in 2008 and live with me since. The paperwork was done during the period of years prior to 2008, which does not require any of my work on the China side, but did involve a lot of paperwork on the US side. I have never met any Chinese official doing paperwork for my parents visit.

The article quoted Mr Soloman Yue's tweet that a Chinese government related news website Guancha.cn interviewed me https://twitter.com/SolomonYue/status/1318706734911737856?s=20 . I never had any interview with Guancha.cn . I had an interview with a Chinese American social media outlet called 'Chinese Americans', the content was picked up and quoted by Guancha.cn out of my control.

This is absurd! This vicious attack came right after I posted a statement on www.Asian.GOP stating our position against Trump, who we believe is a disaster for our beloved country. Since I am a Chinese American, it is so convenient to put 'Chinese asset' together in the same sentence with supporting Joe Biden. This is the dirty politics in its extreme combining McCarthyism and presidential politics. It will also put fear in Chinese Americans who dare to make a political statement against a political leader, which is too familiar to many Chinese American immigrants with the prior experiences. I demand an immediate apology from RedState, and reserve my rights to sue them for the defamation and any other pain this dirty political trick played one day before the 2020 election may cause me and Chinese American community.

Cliff Zhonggang Li
Email: Cliff.li@asian.gop

11/3/2020