Congressman Pat Harrigan Introduces Legislation to Stop China's Acquisition of American Aviation Companies

Contact: Lexi Kranich (814) 380-4408

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10), alongside original cosponsor Congressman Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), introduced H.R. 9707, the General Aviation Protection (GAP) Act, legislation to close national security gaps that have allowed Chinese state-backed entities to acquire more than 20 American general aviation companies over the past two decades.

"Walk into any regional airport in this country and you'll see a Cirrus on the tarmac, sleek, American-made, flying the flag. What you won't see is that the company building it has been owned by China's state-controlled AVIC since 2011, the same conglomerate that builds fighter jets and drones for the PLA. And Cirrus isn't the only one. For two decades, Chinese entities have been quietly buying up American aviation companies, absorbing our engineers, our manufacturing know-how, and our FAA certifications the whole time, and Washington never built a system to catch it. This bill is that system," said Congressman Harrigan.

"Protecting America's aviation industry from bad actors is essential to our national security and economic competitiveness," said Congressman Mackenzie. "Foreign adversaries, especially the Chinese Communist Party, should not be allowed to exploit gaps in our laws to gain access to sensitive technologies, critical infrastructure, or the innovative companies that help keep our nation safe. The General Aviation Protection Act takes a commonsense approach to addressing CCP interference in the general aviation sector by strengthening oversight of foreign investments. This legislation will help to ensure that the security and integrity of our aircraft are protected, and that the American people can continue to rely on a robust domestic aviation sector."

Chinese entities linked to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, a company already designated as a Chinese military company, have made more than 20 acquisitions of American general aviation manufacturers, engine producers, avionics developers, and flight schools since 2005. These companies build the engines, airframes, and avionics that feed directly into military pilot training and America's defense supply chain.

The GAP Act creates a new mandatory CFIUS review category for these acquisitions, with a rebuttable presumption of prohibition for Chinese-linked or foreign adversary-controlled buyers. It also extends CFIUS jurisdiction to aviation real estate near military installations, directs the reclassification of dual-use aviation technologies, closes the outbound investment gap, mandates audits of foreign-controlled avionics for hidden backdoors, and cuts off federal funding to any aviation company controlled by a foreign adversary.