Senators lead effort to ban Chinese-owned GNC from military bases
Efforts to remove Chinese-owned GNC stores from U.S. military bases have gained significant traction this week, with Sen. Ted Budd, a Republican from North Carolina, introducing companion legislation to a House-led bill aimed at targeting the nutrition retailer. The move comes as concerns over national security and espionage risks associated with the presence of these stores on military installations continue to grow.
Currently, there are around 85 GNC stores operating on American military bases, including at locations like Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Rep. Pat Harrigan, also from North Carolina, initially introduced a bill to ban the company from conducting business on U.S. bases, citing the potential threat posed by allowing Chinese-owned businesses to operate in such sensitive environments.
Sen. Budd, along with Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rick Scott of Florida, introduced the Military Installation Retail Security Act, which seeks to prohibit the Department of Defense from permitting businesses owned by adversarial nations – including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea – from operating on U.S. bases.
Budd emphasized the need to prevent these stores from becoming hubs for the exploitation of personal data, stating that allowing Chinese-affiliated companies on military bases poses a significant risk to national security. Cotton echoed these sentiments, highlighting the importance of safeguarding American military infrastructure from potential exploitation by foreign adversaries.
The concern over Chinese-owned GNC stores on U.S. military bases stems from the fact that in 2020, the company was fully acquired by Harbin Pharmaceuticals, a partially state-owned Chinese enterprise. This acquisition raised alarms about the potential for Chinese surveillance activities on military bases through the operation of these stores.
Despite assertions by GNC that their systems meet strict federal standards and undergo regular audits, lawmakers remain wary of the risks associated with allowing Chinese-owned businesses to operate in such sensitive environments. Harrigan pointed out that these stores could potentially gather personal information about military personnel and track their behavior, posing a serious threat to national security.
In light of these concerns, the new legislation introduced by Sen. Budd aims to address the issue and ensure that companies owned by adversarial nations are not permitted to operate on U.S. military bases. The bill has garnered support from various lawmakers who view the presence of Chinese-owned businesses on military installations as a significant security risk that must be addressed.
As the debate over the presence of Chinese-owned GNC stores on U.S. military bases continues, it remains to be seen how Congress will respond to the growing calls for action to address this national security issue. The protection of sensitive information and infrastructure from potential exploitation by foreign adversaries is paramount, and lawmakers are taking steps to mitigate these risks through legislative measures.
