(Boston, MA, Thursday, December 20, 2018) – On any given day, more than 15 million Americans ride a passenger rail vehicle in the U.S. Yet America’s rail infrastructure has been underfunded and undermaintained for decades. As cities seek to build and update rail systems to include smart, connected infrastructure – such as sensors to communicate between trains, stations and passengers – government leaders and decision makers must be cognizant of both the long-term sustainability of their infrastructure investments and the safety and security of passengers.

CRRC Corporate Limited (CRRC) – a Chinese state-owned manufacturer of rail transit equipment globally – has recently captured a substantial share of the passenger rail vehicle market in the U.S., winning significant contracts to manufacture rail transit cars in major American cities including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

This has not only prompted valid questions about unfair competition – the Chinese government subsidizes CRRC whereas its competitors are private and publicly traded companies – but also about the national security implications of China’s growing influence in America’s critical infrastructure, especially in volatile times where China is regularly accused of hacking American technology.

Massachusetts State Representative Shawn R. Dooley, has recently introduced legislation to address restricting state funding on the issue and has concerns about business support for the Chinese government.

SOUNDBITE #1:

I CAN SAY I WAS ALARMED BY THE SCOPE OF THE RECENT DATA BREACHES AND CYBERATTACKS BY CHINA, BUT I CAN’T SAY I WAS ALL THAT SURPRISED. WHAT IS SURPRISING, AND WHAT SHOULD BE ALARMING, IS THAT THE MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM, THE “T”, IS MAKING HUGE PURCHASES FROM C-R-R-C, A COMPANY OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY THE SAME CHINESE GOVERNMENT THAT ARE PERPETRATING THESE ATTACKS.

SOUNDBITE #2:

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT PUTS UP THE CAPITAL TO LOCATE A RAIL CAR MANUFACTURING FACILITY HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS, UNDERCUTS LEGITIMATE FREE MARKET BASED COMPETITION, AND LANDS A HUGE CONTRACT WORTH HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS UNDER THE GUISE OF BEING A LOCAL COMPANY. IT’S A RUSE AND NOTHING MORE THAN WHAT A POWERFUL AND WELL-FUNDED ESPIONAGE ACTOR DOES.

For more information, visit malegislature.gov.