Why California Birth Tourism Is Part of a National Security Debate | Joshua Philipp

Joshua Philipp, an investigative journalist at the Epoch Times, joins host Siamak Khorrami to discuss the intersection of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence and California's birthright citizenship system. The conversation centers on organized 'birth tourism' operations where Chinese nationals, often wealthy individuals, come to California (particularly Southern California near LAX), have children who automatically become US citizens, and then return to China with their US citizen children.

Philipp explains that this practice extends beyond casual cases of tourists having babies abroad. Organized services package birth tourism with postpartum care services (a traditional Chinese cultural practice), creating a comprehensive service model. More concerning is the surrogacy industry, where ultra-wealthy Chinese individuals (including one billionaire with nearly 100 children) use surrogate mothers in America to create US citizen children, raising questions about their true motivations.

The speaker argues this represents a coordinated CCP strategy with multiple objectives: creating US citizen children who can vote in American elections, infiltrating government and military through natural-born citizens with ties to China, circumventing international sanctions through US citizen proxies, and establishing long-term leverage over families. Philipp notes that China cannot execute this without CCP approval, as businesses and wealthy individuals in China are either CCP members or controlled by the party. Even criminal operations like human smuggling triads are connected to the CCP.

Philipp discusses the broader infiltration strategy through the 'United Front' system, explaining how the CCP controls Chinese communities in America through networks of paid and coerced agents. He emphasizes that this is not traditional espionage but rather systematic control through threats to family members in China, business leverage, and immigration visa manipulation. He details how college organizations (Chinese Students and Scholars Associations), businesses, media, and even Chinese police stations in America are all coordinated under CCP control.

The conversation addresses security implications: children born in America to CCP-connected parents may be unable to refuse CCP direction due to family pressure; US citizens with Chinese connections can legally infiltrate sensitive positions; and organized voting blocs of US-born but China-raised citizens could theoretically influence elections if coordinated.

Philipp also discusses threats against Shen Yun Performing Arts (a dance company founded by Chinese immigrants critical of the CCP), noting that bomb threats and death threats against American citizens performing traditional Chinese culture have been traced to organizations connected to Huawei and the Chinese military. He argues this represents a direct assault on Constitutional rights on American soil.

Finally, he distinguishes between the CCP regime and Chinese people, noting that many Chinese immigrants and Chinese-Americans actively oppose the CCP and highly value American freedoms. He emphasizes this distinction is critical to avoid stigmatizing an entire community while accurately addressing a genuine national security threat from the CCP regime specifically.