In recent campaign finance filings reviewed by Fox News Digital, it has been revealed that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign made payments to Sing Tao Newspapers, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Sing Tao News Corporation Ltd. This comes after the Justice Department required the Chinese-owned entity to register as a Chinese foreign agent due to escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing in August 2021.
According to the records, Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign disbursed $442 for print advertisements in Sing Tao Newspapers on May 25, during the second quarter of the year. While this may appear to be a minor expense, it is noteworthy that her campaign was the only one to place advertisements in this particular newspaper during this period. Furthermore, this isn’t the first time such payments have been made, as her campaign had previously sent $5,000 to the company for the same purpose.
The fact that Sing Tao U.S. is a pro-Beijing media outlet and receives over half of its content from the Chinese company Star Production (Shenzhen) Limited has raised concerns about its potential influence. Although Sing Tao U.S. has claimed to be free from Chinese Communist Party influence, it operates within a media environment that the Council on Foreign Relations has described as “one of the world’s most restrictive,” characterized by extensive censorship to control information in the news, online, and on social media.
China’s government has a history of tightly controlling media access for its citizens, including monitoring and suppressing publications and imprisoning dissident journalists as part of its media control operations. Given these circumstances, the ongoing spending of Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign with Sing Tao raises questions about the implications and potential ramifications of such financial ties.
It is worth noting that the Justice Department’s decision to require Sing Tao U.S. to register as a Chinese foreign agent was based on concerns about the entity’s involvement in foreign political activity. Despite this determination, Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign continued to spend nearly $1,500 on advertisements with the company following the ruling.
Sing Tao’s operations in the United States encompass Chinese language publications in major cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Additionally, the company operates a radio station in Burlingame, California. With such widespread reach, its potential influence and implications for foreign political activity cannot be overlooked.
