Monday, April 1, 2024

Dot-Connecting Between Angela Chao and Mitch McConnell (Connecting the Dots: Angela Chao, Elaine Chao, Mitch McConnell, Bank of China, China, Oxford Rhodes Scholars & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Dot-Connecting Between Angela Chao and Mitch McConnell (Connecting the Dots: Angela Chao, Elaine Chao, Mitch McConnell, Bank of China, China, Oxford Rhodes Scholars & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Is it a coincidence that McConnell is stepping down as Senate minority leader?

The Epoch Times

By Stu Cvrk 3/2/2024 Updated: 3/5/2024

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) walks into the Senate chamber in Washington on Feb. 28, 2024. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/dot-connecting-between-angela-chao-and-mitch-mcconnell-5598152

Commentary

On Feb. 12, 50-year-old Angela Chao was found dead in her Tesla that was submerged in a pond on private property in Blanco County, Texas, according to the incident report from fire department EMS personnel. Ms. Chao was the sixth and youngest daughter of Chinese-American shipping magnate James Si-Cheng Chao, who founded the New York-headquartered Foremost Group in 1964. She had been CEO of the company since 2018 and was a founding member of The Asian American Foundation.

On Feb. 28, 82-year-old Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced his intention to step down from his leadership position in November.

Angela Chao was the sister-in-law of Mitch McConnell, and speculation has been rife about these two seemingly unrelated events. Is there any connection other than familial? Let us examine the topic.

Angela Chao

Angela Chao lived in Austin, Texas, and “served on the boards of American and Chinese groups, including the American Bureau of Shipping Council, the Bank of China, and a holding company for China State Shipbuilding,” MSN reported. Her connections to China loom large, particularly in her capacity as the former chair of the U.S. Risk and Management Committee of Bank of China USA, a director of the holding company for state-run China State Shipbuilding, and a former vice chair of the Council of China’s Foreign Trade. China State Shipbuilding Corp. (CSSC) builds ships for the People’s Liberation Army-Navy while the Council of China’s Foreign Trade is a promotional group created by Beijing to facilitate Chinese trade worldwide. Why did the CCP place such trust in Angela Chao?

Her father maintained connections to Chinese communists at the highest levels. As noted here, he “cultivated a close relationship with Jiang Zemin, a former schoolmate from Shanghai” who later became general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and the fifth communist leader of China from 1993–2003. The rise of the Foremost Group mirrored the rise of Jiang in the CCP hierarchy. There are no such things as coincidences.

Lastly, according to China Insights, the Chao family “is known in overseas Chinese circles as ‘The First Chinese American Family,’” with Mr. Chao known as the “Chinese Ship King.” That moniker was well-earned.

Mitch McConnell

Mr. McConnell will step down in November as the longest-serving party leader ever in the U.S. Senate. He was first elected to the Senate in 1985 and rose to Republican minority leader in 2007 and later majority leader in 2015 before reverting to minority leader in 2021. He married his second wife, Elaine Chao, in February 1993. Together, they became an important political power couple in Washington, with Ms. Chao having served as U.S. Secretary of Labor from 2001–09 and Secretary of Transportation from 2017–21.

In his 2018 book “Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends,” investigative journalist Peter Schweizer noted that Mr. McConnell had hardline positions on communist China before his marriage to Ms. Chao. That seemed to change just a year after their marriage, and in 1994, he was invited by CSSC to meet then-Party leader Jiang Zemin and Vice Premier Li Lanqing as arranged by Ms. Chao’s father, Mr. Chao. As reported by the New York Post, Mr. Schweizer maintained in his book that Mr. McConnell “would increasingly avoid public criticism of China” as additional meetings and visits were conducted over the years. Perhaps that shift was facilitated by a multimillion-dollar “gift” from Mr. Chao to the McConnells in 2008 that increased Mr. McConnell’s net worth nearly tenfold.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) participates in a mock swearing-in as his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, holds a Bible, in the Old Senate Chamber at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 3, 2021. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP)

Other McConnell gifts to China over the years included the following, as documented by Mr. Schweizer:

He defended communist China in its actions against Hong Kong and Taiwan.

He claimed that “the United States needed to be ‘ambiguous’ as to whether we would come to the defense of Taiwan if attacked by China.”

When needed to continue China’s most-favored-nation status with the United States, he cosponsored S.2277, which removed the requirement that China had to demonstrate progress on human rights after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Ms. Chao, for her part while Secretary of Labor, opposed a petition filed against China on the subject of workers’ rights based on the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 while also criticizing a bipartisan congressional report citing Chinese espionage against the United States.

A moderate Republican, Mr. McConnell clashed with populist President Donald Trump on various policy issues, including China tariffs and closing the border, to the point of threatening the president with impeachment if he pardoned Julian Assange in the final hours of his presidency, as reported by Tucker Carlson.

Dots and Questions

Are there any connections between Angela Chao’s death and Mr. McConnell’s upcoming relinquishing of his job as Republican minority leader in the Senate?

NTD reported that officials have been slow to release additional information about the incident and that her family allegedly blocked an autopsy, leading to “speculation about the circumstances surrounding Ms. Chao’s death.” NTD cited a YouTube video by Lei’s Real Talk, who has been an independent reporter of the “latest geopolitical events concerning China” since 2020. A number of points were made in that Feb. 22 report, as well as in other news reports since then:

The “suspicious death” took place at a ranch that is owned by a corporate entity connected to her husband, venture capitalist Jim Breyer, according to CNBC. Her death is under a criminal investigation, as reported by the Daily Mail.

There is a surveillance video of Angela Chao’s car going into reverse and “aggressively backing over a significant obstacle.” The Daily Mail reported on March 1 that “[police] refuse to release the 911 call and video evidence” associated with the incident.

General information about identity, time, and place of death was not released to the media per standard practice, as noted by USA Today on Feb. 21. Further information is possibly being withheld because of an ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.

The death took place one week after IDG Capital was listed as a “Chinese military operation,” which her husband Jim Breyer’s venture capital firm had heavily invested in. As reported by the House Select Committee on the Strategic Cooperation between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party on Feb. 8. Mr. Breyer’s net worth is estimated at $1.5 billion.

These circumstances may have been unremarkable, but that has not yet been determined, and there are other interesting coincidences.

China Insights noted that the Foremost Group “placed an order worth $168 million with a subsidiary of the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation.” This was confirmed by Ship&Bunker on Jan. 26 as an order for “four 82,200 DWT duel fueled bulkers capable of running on methanol from CSSC Chengxi Shipyard.”

Angela Chao’s position as a director of China State Shipbuilding Corporation was unique. No ordinary member of the CCP would have the qualifications or opportunity to become a member of a state-run enterprise that is part of a military-industrial enterprise in China.

China Insights reported that Beijing-based Chinese media Caixin Global was the first to report Ms. Chao’s death by claiming that her car was hit by a truck while on her way to a business meeting in Austin, Texas. She supposedly died at the scene, and the truck driver was arrested for manslaughter. Caixin Global is backed by former Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and reports the state’s geopolitical narrative, not sensational news stories. How did Caixin Global—half a world away!—scoop U.S. media on the story, even if the details were wrong? Another coincidence!

Angela Chao was dismissed as an independent director of the Bank of China in 2022 after relations between the bank and Evergrande soured. The Bank of China (BOC) seized Evergrande’s assets beginning in 2021 as Evergrande failed to repay its debt. The BOC also reported Evergrande’s regulatory violations to relevant CCP anti-corruption authorities. Evergrande’s Xu Jiayin fought back by making default allegations against the BOC and disclosing other embarrassing insider information, including alleged scandals of then-BOC President Liu Liange.

Was the Caixin story intended to send a message to the Jiang Zemin faction (the “Shanghai clique” in China)? The Hong Kong head of the BOC, the founder of the Lenovo Group, and members of the now-defunct Taishan Club, a chamber of commerce-type group that dominated certain sectors of the Chinese economy and represented the wealthiest people in China, could have been some of the intended recipients of such a message.

Concluding Thoughts

On Feb. 29, CNBC reported that the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office wrote a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that included the statement, “Although the preliminary investigation indicated this was an unfortunate accident, the Sheriff’s Office is still investigating this accident as a criminal matter until they have sufficient evidence to rule out criminal activity.”

The letter further states that “this incident was not a typical accident.”

Then there were Mr. McConnell’s cryptic remarks about his sister-in-law’s passing as he announced stepping down on Feb. 28.

“Perhaps it is God’s way of reminding you of your own life’s journey to reprioritize the impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind,” he said.

What does “reprioritize the impact of the world” mean? Is he sidelining himself because of the Caixin Group’s message?

Or is Mr. McConnell getting out ahead of the Senate posse that has become disenchanted with his leadership of late? After the debacle of the super-secret border deal that went down the tubes, his credibility is decidedly waning, but this is a way for him to retain a modicum of power for another eight months, albeit in a decidedly weakened lame-duck status.

Certainly, there is more than meets the eye about Angela Chao’s death and Mr. McConnell stepping down as Republican minority leader in the Senate. We will have to wait for the completion of the criminal investigation into her death to learn more.

The end.

Connecting the Dots:

Angela Chao is Addison M. McConnell (Mitch’s) sister-in-law and Elaine Chao’s sister.

Addison M. McConnell is Angela Chao’s brother-in-law, the U.S. Senate senator & majority leader and married to Elaine L. Chao.

Elaine L. Chao is married to Addison M. McConnell, Angela Chao’s sister, a fellow at the Hudson Institute (think tank) and was the transportation secretary for the Donald Trump administration.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Hudson Institute (think tank) and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

John Brademas was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University.

Giulio Tremonti is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a fellow at the Oxford University.

James M. Manyika is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was a research fellow at the Oxford University.

Pete Buttigieg is a graduate at the University of Oxford, attending the latter on a Rhodes Scholarship and the Secretary of Transportation for the Joe Biden Administration.

Walter Isaacson a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University and is president & CEO for the Aspen Institute (think tank), was a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University and a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Elaine L. Chao is a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation, married to Addison M. McConnell, Angela Chao’s sister, the transportation secretary for the Donald Trump administration, was a board member for the American Action Forum, and a fellow at the Hudson Institute (think tank).

Frederic V. Malek is the chairman for the American Action Forum and a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Hudson Institute (think tank), the Aspen Institute (think tank) and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Jon M. Huntsman Jr. is a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and an ambassador to China for the Barack Obama administration.

J. Stapleton Roy is a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and was a U.S. ambassador for China.

German Marshall Fund of the United States (think tank) was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Amity Shlaes was a trustee at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (think tank) and a columnist for the Bloomberg News.

Margaret Carlson is a trustee at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (think tank) and a columnist for the Bloomberg News.

Bloomberg News is a division of Bloomberg LP.

Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder of Bloomberg LP, the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation and was a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Robin Hood Foundation and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Elaine L. Chao is a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation, married to Addison M. McConnell, Angela Chao’s sister, the transportation secretary for the Donald Trump administration and was a fellow at the Hudson Institute (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Hudson Institute (think tank) and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

John Brademas was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University.

Giulio Tremonti is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a fellow at the Oxford University.

James M. Manyika is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was a research fellow at the Oxford University.

Pete Buttigieg is a graduate at the University of Oxford, attending the latter on a Rhodes Scholarship and the Secretary of Transportation for the Joe Biden Administration.

Walter Isaacson a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University and is president & CEO for the Aspen Institute (think tank), was a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University and a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation

Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation and the founder of Bloomberg LP.

Bloomberg News is a division of Bloomberg LP.

Amity Shlaes was a columnist for the Bloomberg News and a trustee at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (think tank).

Margaret Carlson is a columnist for the Bloomberg News and a trustee at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (think tank).

German Marshall Fund of the United States (think tank) was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Jon M. Huntsman Jr. is a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and an ambassador to China for the Barack Obama administration.

J. Stapleton Roy is a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and was a U.S. ambassador for China.

Mohamed A. El-Erian is a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and was the deputy director for the International Monetary Fund.

Christine Lagarde is a managing director at the International Monetary Fund and attended George Soros’s 2013 wedding reception.

Min Zhu is the deputy managing director at the International Monetary Fund and was the deputy governor for the People's Bank of China.

People's Bank of China is the central bank for China.  

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China.   

Hong Kong Trade Development Council is a trade group for Hong Kong.

Sidley Austin LLP is the lobby firm for the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Cameron F. Kerry is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, John F. Kerry’s brother and a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

William T. Coleman Jr. was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Richard N. Haass was a VP for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University.

Strobe Talbott is the president of the Brookings Institution (think tank) and was a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University.

E.J. Dionne is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and was a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University.

Susan E. Rice was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University.

Pete Buttigieg is a graduate at the University of Oxford, attending the latter on a Rhodes Scholarship and the Secretary of Transportation for the Joe Biden Administration.

Resources: Past Research

Limbaugh: ‘Search-and-Destroy Mission’ Against Roy Moore Is Really About Mitch McConnell Sending Steve Bannon a Message (Past Research on Addison M. McConnell (Mitch) & Elaine Chao)

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/11/limbaugh-search-and-destroy-mission.html

Buttigieg Defends Fed Response to Train Derailment in Ohio (Connecting the Dots: Pete Buttigieg, Oxford University, The U.S. Department of Transportation, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The Federal Railroad Administration & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Pete Buttigieg)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2023

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2023/02/buttigieg-defends-fed-response-to-train.html

Jeb Bush: Michael Bloomberg A ‘Good Man’ And A ’Patriot’ (Past Research on the Bloomberg Family Foundation)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2016/01/jeb-bush-michael-bloomberg-good-man-and.html

Chinese Crash Crushes Stock Market as Obama Imitates Chinese Economy (Past Research on China)

MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/08/chinese-crash-crushes-stock-market-as.html

MSNBC Closes 2014 In Last Place, Hemorrhaging Viewers (Past Research on Bloomberg News)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/12/msnbc-closes-2014-in-last-place.html

The Secret Hand of China (Past Research on China & Bank of China)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-secret-hand-of-china.html

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