WASHINGTON, D.C.- Just over seven years ago, Sen. Pete Ricketts, while serving as Governor of Nebraska, helped the Nebraska Chinese Association dedicate a new Chinese cultural center in Omaha. Today, Sen. Ricketts, now serving in Washington, raised concerns that the same group that sponsored and helped construct the center might be acting as a tool for Chinese surveillance of the United States.

Based on this assumption, Ricketts, alongside Sen. Deb Fischer and eight other Republican senators, recently called on the Justice Department to provide answers to reports that suggest that the Chinese government has established "Overseas China Service Centers" in seven U.S. cities, including Omaha. According to the reports, no evidence has been presented to suggest that such centers play any role in Chinese surveillance.

The Nebraska Chinese Association, in response to Ricketts' accusations, said they have "no affiliation with any government agency, foreign and domestic." The nonprofit organization, which seeks to "dedicate their time and their financial support to embrace its mission and its vision for the local community" of Omaha, was formed 15 years ago. The group's leaders say the organization is simply interested in preserving and promoting Chinese culture and history, as well as cultivating relationships between Chinese citizens and local Omahans.

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