California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a previous U.S. ambassador to Hungary, traveled to an function the federal government boycotted in Beijing previous yr and praised scholar-exchange applications, like the 1 a suspected spy utilized to community with Rep. Eric Swalwell.
“Training is essential to us in California – and nations around the world around the planet participate in our achievement by sending hundreds of international learners to our condition to analyze side-by-facet with our very own American students,” Kounalakis, a Democrat, said at the A single Belt Just one Road summit very last April. “In reality, at this instant, 9 percent of the college students researching in our University of California method are from China.”
She famous her very own track record as the daughter of immigrants and touted overseas trade programs.
Then-Ambassador Eleni Kounalakis throughout a session in the context of the fourth yearly Athens Democracy Discussion board, at the Athens Live performance corridor, Megaron, on September 15, 2016. (Photo by Panayiotis Tzamaros/NurPhoto through Getty Illustrations or photos)
“This strong educational exchange fosters the sharing of tradition and ideas – and builds particular interactions which go on to be the foundation of mutual knowing, global cooperation and financial innovation,” she said.
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Suspected spy Christine Fang, also identified as Fang Fang, allegedly utilised her guise as a student at California State University, East Bay, to host extracurricular networking situations. They allowed her to rub elbows with Swalwell, a Democrat, and other officers – including a pair of Midwestern mayors she allegedly slept with as she fed facts back again to China’s intelligence officials.
Suspected spy Christine Fang, also acknowledged as Fang Fang, allegedly employed her guise as a pupil at University of California, East Bay, to host extracurricular networking gatherings that allowed her to rub elbows with Swalwell and other officials.
She turned president of the now-defunct Chinese Student Association and received an award for university spirit.
Kounalakis’ speech resurfaced Wednesday when a Twitter person wrongfully accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom of signing the condition up for China’s multitrillion-greenback Belt and Road Initiative. The international infrastructure financial commitment venture has been painted by critics as a scheme for world wide economic dominance and personal debt-trap diplomacy.
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The tweet integrated a cropped headline that read through “California Indicators up for Belt & Highway.”
But the unique headline, in the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Article, reads: “California symptoms up for China’s Belt and Highway Discussion board to support in combat against climate improve.”
Heads of state from 37 international locations appeared at the a few-day convention in April 2019, in accordance to the China Day by day, a state-owned English-language newspaper. But the Trump administration chose not to get component amid a trade spat amongst the U.S. and China.
Kounalakis spoke at the discussion board, and her well prepared remarks are posted on her formal web site.
“The rationale I came to Beijing to take part in the 1 Belt, 1 Highway convention is mostly to converse about local climate adjust, and urge individuals to prioritize this issue, and think about how the Belt and Road Initiative can drive favourable motion all-around this world wide danger,” she mentioned.
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She afterwards stated the Belt and Highway Initiative is an prospect for China to commit to combating weather change and that she hoped it would be prioritized in all of the venture’s assignments.
Kounalakis’ workplace did not instantly reply to a Fox Information request for comment.