Chris Iacovella, CEO of the American Securities Association, sheds light on alarming Wall Street practices that allow companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party to access U.S. capital markets. He reveals how American investments unknowingly fund activities related to human rights abuses and military developments in China. Iacovella discusses the Variable Interest Entity and Passive Index loopholes, emphasizing the urgent need for legislation to address these issues and safeguard American values against unfair economic competition.
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insights INSIGHT
Loopholes Let CCP in Markets
Wall Street exploits loopholes to allow Chinese Communist Party-controlled companies into U.S. markets despite prohibitions.
These companies are often controlled by CCP with little transparency or accountability to American investors.
insights INSIGHT
Two Major Investment Loopholes
The Variable Interest Entity (VIE) structure means Americans buy contract rights, not Chinese company shares.
The passive index loophole lets Chinese mainland companies access U.S. capital without U.S. regulatory compliance.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Support Legislation to Close Loopholes
Support bipartisan legislation identifying Chinese companies tied to military or sensitive tech for scrutiny.
Use automatic sanctions triggers for companies on human rights or defense concern lists to protect U.S. investors.
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In this eye-opening episode of The Daily Signal podcast, Rob Bluey interviews Chris Iacovella, CEO of the American Securities Association. Iacovella recently testified before Congress about a disturbing financial reality many Americans are unaware of.
Iacovella explains how Wall Street exploits multiple loopholes that allow companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to access American capital markets, despite laws prohibiting foreign ownership of Chinese companies.
Key points discussed:
How American investments are unknowingly funding CCP activities, including the internment of Uyghurs, PLA weapons systems, cyber attacks against the U.S., and what the State Department has classified as genocide
The "Variable Interest Entity" loophole: Americans who think they're buying shares in Chinese companies like Alibaba are actually only purchasing rights to a contract with a Cayman Islands company that contracts with the mainland Chinese company
The "Passive Index" loophole: Asset managers include mainland Chinese companies in index funds sold to U.S. investors, allowing these companies to access American capital without complying with U.S. laws and regulations
Bipartisan legislation from Rep. Andy Barr and Sen. John Cornyn aimed at identifying Chinese companies with ties to the military or specific technology infrastructure
Why China's economic competition is fundamentally unfair: "When you have slave labor, no environmental laws, no OSHA laws, and no labor laws, of course it's going to be cheaper"
Iacovella also explains the mission of the American Securities Association as a non-Wall Street trade association representing approximately 100 member firms across the country. Its mission is to "promote investor trust and confidence and to facilitate the flow of capital to small businesses across America."
Listen now to understand how your investments might be inadvertently supporting a foreign adversary and what you can do about it.
The Daily Signal