The City of Carmel recently withdrew from the United States Heartland China Association (USHCA), a nonprofit that previously operated under the name Midwest U.S.-China Foundation.
Finkam
On Jan. 30, Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party member Rep. Jim Banks sent a letter to recently inaugurated Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam asking her to withdraw Carmel from its sister cities agreement with Xiangyang City, China. Former Mayor Jim Brainard signed the agreement in November 2023 during a 10-day tour of China.
In his letter, Rep. Banks said, “Carmel has a great opportunity to turn the page and hopefully lead the way by becoming the first of many Indiana cities to drop its sister city agreement and distance itself from the Chinese Communist Party.”
USHCA says it focuses on “trust-building efforts to connect educational and community interests; business leaders; and local governmental officials with like-minded institutions between the American Heartland Region and China.”
Mayor Finkam sent a letter to USHCA Chairman, former Missouri Governor Bob Holden this week stating the city would not renew its membership. Carmel originally joined USHCA in 2022, paying a $25,000 annual membership fee.
“Mayor Finkam did Carmel a great service by cutting ties with the US Heartland China Association,” Rep. Banks said. “This is a dangerous group that puts the Chinese Communist Party and its interests first. I hope other officials around Indiana and the Midwest take similar steps as they learn more about the Heartland Association and China’s influence efforts in the coming week.”
Whether this move ends the sister city relationship with Xiangyang remains unclear.