China’s quiet infiltration of US general aviation
Walk into any regional airport in America, and you’ll likely see a Cirrus aircraft on the tarmac. Sleek, American-made, often bearing the American flag. What you won’t see is the fine print: Cirrus Aircraft, the largest manufacturer of piston-powered general aviation planes in the United States, has been wholly owned since 2011 by a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the CCP’s primary aerospace and defense conglomerate.
TL;DR
- AVIC, a Chinese state-owned aerospace conglomerate, owns U.S. general aviation manufacturers like Cirrus Aircraft and Continental Aerospace Technologies.
- These acquisitions are part of China's Military-Civil Fusion strategy, aimed at channeling civilian innovation into military applications.
- The acquisitions grant China access to U.S. engineers, manufacturing expertise, FAA certifications, and advanced aerospace technology.
- General aviation operates in a regulatory blind spot, lacking the scrutiny applied to commercial aviation.
- Continental Aerospace Technologies' acquisition by AVIC helped China develop advanced UAV power systems.
- Chinese-linked companies have received U.S. taxpayer-funded relief programs, such as PPP loans.
- China's National Intelligence Law can compel U.S. firms with joint ventures to hand over collected data.
- There is a risk of "kill switches" or remote reprogramming capabilities being embedded in avionics systems owned by Chinese entities.
- Congress needs to close subsidiary loopholes and broaden investment screening tools to include civilian aerospace industries.