Rubio: Chinese Consulate in Houston ‘a Front’ for Spying

On Wednesday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) stated that the recently closed Chinese consulate in Houston is “a front” and “kind of the central node of a massive spy operation, commercial espionage, defense espionage,” and stated that the closure should have happened a long time ago.

Rubio said, “So, this consulate is basically a front for a — it’s kind of the central node of a massive spy operation, commercial espionage, defense espionage, also influence agents to try to influence Congress. You know, they use businessmen as fronts, in many cases, to try to influence members of Congress and other political leaders at the state and local level. And so, it’s long overdue that it be closed.”

Rubio added that China’s agents will have 72 hours to leave the United States or they will be subject to arrest as spies.

He also stated that while the United States is “nowhere near where we need to be yet in terms of being aware of this threat [of Chinese influence and lobbying] and addressing it, but we have certainly come a long way. I think there are encouraging signs, both in academia and in other places, about this threat.”

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