Texas Representative Beth Van Duyne (R) went after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) media corporation Paramount Global for airing an ad by Chinese website Temu during the Super Bowl.
“The CCP is set to spend a reported $15 million in advertisements for their shopping company, Temu, during today’s Super Bowl. With over 100 million Americans tuning in to watch, I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to Paramount Global and CBS urging them not to air ANY ads promoting CCP affiliated companies that refuse to comply with U.S. laws and allow illicit products to enter our market,” tweeted Rep. Van Duyne.
The CCP is set to spend a reported $15 million in advertisements for their shopping company, Temu, during today’s Super Bowl. With over 100 million Americans tuning in to watch, I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to Paramount Global and CBS urging them not to air ANY ads…
— Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (@RepBethVanDuyne) February 11, 2024
In a commercial break during Sunday’s highly watched Super Bowl that aired on CBS, a long Temu ad appeared on the screen. The online retail brand is known for selling cheap goods such as appliances and clothes. However, the brand is viewed as controversial by some, in part, because of its attachment to China.
Van Duyne alluded to nefarious intentions from the CCP. The $15 million ad could be seen as the CCP’s expensive attempt to infiltrate the U.S. The congresswoman has been very outspoken about the potential dangers posed by China.
Last year, in an interview on former Secretary of Housing and Development Ben Carson’s podcast, Van Duyne discussed the dangers that China poses against the United States.
“I don’t think that you can overstress the risk that China poses to the U.S. right now,” said Rep. Van Duyne.
The North Texas representative questioned America’s use of China’s manufacturing.
“Whether or not it’s deciding who’s going to be in charge of currency in the future. Whether or not we’re looking at China or the U.S. Whether or not your looking at our energy supply. If we’re all driving EV vehicles but we can’t provide an opportunity for people to be able to plug them in, and yet China is the one supplying all the materials for it, you know, what’s happening?” said the Texas lawmaker
Van Duyne highlighted how China has engaged in multiple trades and partnerships with countries around the world.
“Even at a much more global basis, I’ve been traveling as part of my commitment to [the] Ways and Means Committee, I’m looking at trade, and I’ve been to South Korea, I’ve been to Singapore, Cambodia, Mexico — we are losing the fight with China. China is engaged in those conversations with foreign countries around the world,” said the Texas representative.
Furthermore, the congresswoman pointed out that some of those countries that have engaged in trade with China are allies of the United States.
“They are selling out their futures to China, whether or not it’s their infrastructure, whether or not it’s their rare earth minerals, China has been very aggressive and very proactive in forming those relations with our allies. And [the] U.S., especially in the last two years has just been silent,” said Van Duyne.
America’s silence on the rapidly expanding Chinese partnerships is not exclusive to Van Duyne alone. According to her, other foreign government officials have questioned the U.S.’s actions or lack thereof.
“When you talk to foreign ministers, when you talk to prime ministers around the world, they’ll tell you ‘Where is the U.S.?’”
