Recent revelations have brought to light undisclosed meetings between U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and a high-ranking official from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), stirring up a storm of controversy.
A report by Fox News recently unveiled that Granholm had two separate discussions with Zhang Jianhua, the Chairman of the China National Energy Administration and a senior CCP member.
These discussions occurred just before the White House declared its intention to access the U.S. emergency oil reserves.
Unraveling the secret dialogues
The report, which is based on internal Department of Energy (DOE) calendars, indicates that Granholm had consultations with Zhang on Nov. 19 and 21, 2021.
Following these discussions, the White House announced the release of 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) on Nov. 23, 2021.
Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, voiced her concerns about these undisclosed dialogues. She stated:
"Before informing the American public about their plans to potentially compromise our energy security by depleting the SPR at unprecedented rates for political gains before the midterm elections, Secretary Granholm allegedly held secret consultations with the Chinese Communist Party."
Consequences of the undisclosed dialogues
McMorris Rodgers also highlighted that under Granholm's stewardship, the DOE has sold millions of barrels of oil from the SPR to China, the world's largest polluter.
This action has raised serious questions about the security of U.S. energy and its relationship with China.
Granholm's comments at the annual SXSW conference in Austin, Texas in March, where she suggested that the U.S. should "learn from what China is doing" regarding climate change, have further fueled these concerns.
Demand for transparency and accountability
In the wake of these revelations, McMorris Rodgers has demanded "answers and full transparency" from Granholm.
She also emphasized the importance of passing the Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act. This proposed legislation would prevent the federal government from selling any petroleum product reserves, including those from the SPR, to Chinese entities.
House GOP Majority Leader Steve Scalise criticized the Biden administration for secretly collaborating with the CCP to reduce energy prices in China, while American taxpayers are burdened with increasing costs at the pump. He stated:
The Biden administration secretly colluded with the Chinese Communist Party to help lower energy prices in China while hardworking American taxpayers were left to pay more at the pump here at home.
Questions over U.S. energy policy
The controversy surrounding Granholm's undisclosed dialogues with Zhang has raised questions about China's influence on U.S. energy policy.
Rep. Mike Collins questioned why communist China appears to have more input on U.S. energy policy than the American people under the Biden administration.
In November of 2021, the White House announced that it was releasing oil from U.S. reserves in conjunction with "other major energy consuming nations including China." However, instead of releasing oil stocks, China has been increasing its own reserves since November 2021.
China's growing oil reserves
According to a June 2022 letter to Granholm from McMorris Rodgers, China may now have crude inventories of about 950 million barrels, making its reserves the largest in the world.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has sold at least 2 million barrels of oil from the SPR to Unipec, an affiliate of the state-controlled China Petrochemical Corporation.
These revelations have led to further criticism of the Biden administration's relationship with China. Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) stated:
The Biden Admin's corrupt relationship with China should be alarming to every American.
Conclusion
- The undisclosed dialogues between U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and a high-ranking CCP official have stirred up a storm of controversy.
- These dialogues took place just before the White House declared its intention to access the U.S. emergency oil reserves.
- Under Granholm's stewardship, the DOE has sold millions of barrels of oil from the SPR to China, raising serious questions about the security of U.S. energy.
- Calls for transparency and accountability have been made in the wake of these revelations.
- The controversy has raised questions about China's influence on U.S. energy policy.
- China has been increasing its oil reserves since November 2021, while the U.S. has been selling oil from its reserves.
Please share this article on Twitter and Facebook to raise awareness about this important issue.
