A New York defense contractor supplying U.S. military aircraft and missile parts faces scrutiny over its owner’s deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Despite these concerns, the company has received tens of millions of dollars in contracts from the Department of Defense (DOD) while also serving on a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) council overseeing critical manufacturing.
S&L Aerospace Metals LLC, a longtime supplier for the U.S. military, is owned by Jerry Wang—whose Chinese name is Wang Jue.
A Daily Caller News Foundation investigation identified Wang as an official for multiple CCP-affiliated organizations, raising alarm bells about his potential connections to Chinese intelligence networks.
U.S. government records show S&L has been awarded approximately $60 million in defense contracts and has manufactured components for advanced American aircraft, including Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-35 Lightning II, and multiple military helicopters.
Wang has been repeatedly photographed at CCP government functions alongside high-ranking Party officials, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
A 2019 conference video from Beijing shows Wang applauding Xi, while other images depict him attending CCP intelligence-affiliated meetings in both China and the United States.
Despite mounting evidence, Wang has denied any links to foreign political entities. His attorney acknowledged Wang appears in several photos at Chinese government functions but declined to dispute their authenticity.
Wang has been linked to a powerful CCP influence operation called the United Front Work Department (UFWD)—a known arm of Beijing’s intelligence strategy.
According to the House Select Committee on the CCP, the UFWD engages in a combination of espionage, political influence, and access to advanced technology.
Wang is identified in Chinese government records as a “director” of one UFWD organization, the China Overseas Friendship Association (COFA), which works to co-opt overseas figures for CCP interests.
Concerns over Wang’s affiliations have drawn strong reactions from lawmakers and national security experts.
Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, condemned the revelation, stating, “Reports that individuals linked to the CCP United Front are in control of key U.S. defense contractors are shocking. No entity or individual affiliated with the CCP should ever have been allowed to infiltrate our defense supply chains.”
Photos from as early as 2006 show Wang hosting and attending New York welcome events for Xi Jinping, then a rising CCP leader. Chinese state media reports confirm Wang organized a reception banquet for Xi and presented him with a statue of a bald eagle—a symbol of American strength now steeped in irony.
S&L Aerospace’s Pentagon contracts are not limited to aircraft parts. The company has also won U.S. Army contracts for missile launchers, small arms manufacturing, and guided weaponry, according to federal records. The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which oversees the global military supply chain, has awarded S&L multiple contracts, including a $24.3 million deal to produce cylinders and pistons for the U.S. Army.
Despite these security risks, the Pentagon has remained silent. Neither the Department of Defense (DOD) nor the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to multiple requests for comment regarding Wang’s alleged CCP ties.
L.J. Eads, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence analyst, described the situation as “a glaring national security failure.” He warned that allowing an individual with Wang’s background access to critical military supply chains is “incredibly naive” and poses a direct threat to U.S. military readiness and operational security.
According to national security experts, the U.S. defense contracting system relies heavily on self-disclosure, leaving significant blind spots in screening foreign influence.
Brian O’Shea, a former military and intelligence analyst, warned that China could exploit these weaknesses to disrupt U.S. military operations, stating, “Disrupt the logistics, you shut down your enemy’s offensive.”
This breach extends beyond the Pentagon. S&L Aerospace also serves on DHS’s Critical Manufacturing Sector Coordinating Council (CMSCC), which helps shape national security policy for defense supply chains. Security analysts argue that Wang’s position within CMSCC could allow him to subtly influence policy decisions, promote CCP-friendly agendas, and even leak sensitive manufacturing vulnerabilities to Beijing.
Eads urged Congress to take immediate action, emphasizing that individuals with ties to the CCP should not be operating inside the U.S. defense industry, let alone within a DHS security council.
“The CCP would use a person like Wang to map out supply chain vulnerabilities, steal intellectual property, and even sabotage critical manufacturing,” Eads warned. “Congress needs to step in and fix this now because the DOD clearly isn’t doing enough to protect us from this blatant national security threat.”
Republican lawmakers may push for immediate investigations and stronger oversight of defense contractors with foreign ties
The House Select Committee on the CCP has already sounded the alarm, but the full extent of Chinese infiltration into U.S. military supply chains may still be unknown.