Barr accuses U.S. firms like Disney and Apple of "bowing to Beijing"

Attorney General Bill Barr on Thursday accused U.S. tech and entertainment firms — several of them by name — of collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

What he's saying: “[I]f Disney and other American corporations continue to bow to Beijing, they risk undermining both their own future competitiveness and prosperity, as well as the classical liberal order that has allowed them to thrive."

Excerpts:

• "Over the years, corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Apple have shown themselves all too willing to collaborate with the CCP."
• “America’s corporate leaders might not think of themselves as lobbyists. You might think, for example, that cultivating a mutually beneficial relationship is … necessary to do business with [China].”
• “But you should be alert to how you might be used, and how your efforts on behalf of a foreign company or government could implicate the Foreign Agents Registration Act.”

Background: Barr’s was the third in a series of speeches from top Trump administration officials on China.

• It followed remarks by National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and FBI Director Christopher Wray. Barr said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would be up next.

What to watch: The NYT reports that the administration is considering a sweeping travel ban on CCP members and their families.

Go deeper: Pompeo announces visa restrictions on Huawei employees