Transatlantic Friction: U.S. Congress Accuses France of Shielding Airbus-China Ties from Oversight

A major diplomatic row is brewing between Washington and Paris over corporate transparency and national security. On December 19, 2025, John Moolenaar, Chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, formally urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to intervene, alleging that the French government is sabotaging a U.S. investigation into Airbus.

At the heart of the dispute is Airbus's relationship with the Xi’an Aircraft Group (XAC), a Chinese state-owned firm that manufactures wings for the A320 but also develops military bombers for the People's Liberation Army. While Airbus initially signaled a willingness to comply with the U.S. inquiry launched in August, Moolenaar claims that French authorities—likely citing the "French Blocking Statute"—have stepped in to veto the release of sensitive data. Moolenaar warns that because Airbus is a critical contractor for the Pentagon, its industrial "dual-use" activities in China pose a direct risk of strengthening Beijing's military-civilian fusion at the expense of American security.