May 29th, 2025: How GNC Is Giving China A Foothold on U.S. Military Bases & Russia’s Troop Build-Up
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It's Thursday, the 29th of May. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. And yes, still on the road.

All right, let's get briefed. We'll start off today's show with a concerning intrusion onto U.S. military bases. Now, a popular supplements chain with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, the CCP, is operating inside the wire, raising fears of possible espionage and collection of information on military personnel.

Later in the show, Ukraine's president says Russia is massing 50,000 troops near the northeastern border, suggesting that Moscow is preparing for a summer offensive. I mean, nothing says I'm interested in having a ceasefire like putting 50,000 of your troops on the invaded country's border. We'll provide the available details. Plus, Germany's leader says he'll help Ukraine build its own long-range missiles. I mean, not personally, but with German know-how and resources.

It's a major shift that could take the war deep into Russian territory.

And in today's Back of the Brief, Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveils new visa restrictions targeting foreign officials who help to censor Americans online But first, today's PDB Spotlight It's a topic that we've covered here on the PDB at length The threat to national security posed by Chinese institutions and business entities beholden to the Chinese Communist Party that operate in the United States

And today, I want to bring you a story about a Chinese-owned company that's actually already operating inside U.S. military bases. And most service members probably have no idea that the CCP is involved. Now, many of you know the store GNC, right? They've got literally thousands of locations located all over the country. You've probably got one in your local strip mall. Do they still have strip malls? I don't know. They sell supplements and vitamins and protein powders and...

a variety of other potions and stuff promoting, or at least promising, a healthy lifestyle. What you might not know is that GNC operates 85 stores on American military installations across the country. For example, it's got multiple locations at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, home to over 50,000 troops and the heart of Army Special Operations, might I add, and a store at Fort Drum in New York. That's the headquarters of the 10th Mountain Division.

But behind the shelves of protein powder and vitamins is something more troubling. GNC, you see, is owned by Harbin Pharmaceuticals. That's a partially state-owned Chinese firm with direct links to the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party. In China, the line between the private sector and the state is virtually, what's the word I'm looking for, non-existent. Companies like Harbin Pharmaceuticals aren't independent actors in the Western sense. They

They operate under the oversight of the CCP, which maintains the legal authority to compel corporate cooperation with intelligence efforts Under China's 2017 National Intelligence Law, all organizations and citizens are required to "support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work" In other words, when a Chinese company operates abroad, especially in sensitive environments,

It's not just a business transaction, it's a potential extension of the Chinese regime.

Now, this is not a hypothetical threat. It's a reality currently embedded into the daily lives of American troops. GNC's stores on base aren't just licensed storefronts. They're fully operated, staffed, and supplied by the company, the CCP-linked company. That means foreign ownership has direct access to the purchasing habits and health profiles and other data of U.S. service members.

In addition to running a database that contains individual bio details and financial information, the company could also track individuals with specific vulnerabilities like chronic fatigue or anxiety, testosterone deficiencies or sleep disorders. Over time, well, that information could help paint a portrait of military readiness, deployment cycles or even personal stress markers or weaknesses. All of it, from the CCP's perspective, potentially exploitable.

And that's just the analog threat. These stores are also presenting digital risks. What I mean by that is the loyalty programs, the Wi-Fi networks, promotional QR codes could be used to collect geolocation data or even serve as vectors for malicious software, opening the door to surveillance or cyber intrusion. So, you say to yourself, how did we get here?

Well, GNC was once a Pittsburgh-based retailer, but in 2020, amid bankruptcy, it was bought outright by Harbin Pharmaceuticals for $770 million, after Harbin had already taken a 40% stake two years earlier.

That acquisition went through with minimal scrutiny, despite warnings from security officials and lawmakers. Since then, the company has grown its footprint to over 4,000 stores globally, including dozens on the front lines of America's national security military infrastructure. In an era when foreign land purchases near bases are finally triggering alarm bells, a CCP-linked company is selling supplements inside the perimeter of France.

And because GNC operates under long-term concession agreements, that's a type of retail contract used on military installations, it isn't classified as a traditional government contractor. That means that GNC isn't subject to the same registration and disclosure requirements in the federal system for award management. I know I'm getting a little bit wonky here, but it's important.

In fact, GNC's registration quietly expired back in late 2024, with no mention of its Chinese ownership ever appearing in the database. Hmm, shocking. Now, you may hear this news and think to yourself, well, that seems a bit paranoid, worrying that the CCP could be collecting data on military members through a vitamin and supplements business.

But, the fact is, the Chinese regime's intel apparatus is aggressive, very well resourced, creative, and patient.

It would be naive to imagine that the CCP would not take advantage of this level of access to U.S. military facilities and personnel The CCP's intel machine views all information as potentially operationally useful or leverageable It would run counter to decades of documented behavior on their part to think that they would treat this type of access in a benign fashion

All right, coming up next, Russia masses 50,000 troops near Ukraine's northeastern border, and Germany vows to help Kiev build its own long-range missiles. I'll be right back.

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Welcome back to the PDB. In preparation for a potential summer offensive, Russia is massing more than 50,000 troops near Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, intensifying fears of a renewed cross-border offensive as the Kremlin continues to stall peace talks. Ukrainian President Zelensky confirmed the buildup in comments to his country's national news agency on Tuesday,

stating that Russian forces are concentrating both along the border and inside neighboring Kursk. The deployment includes some of Russia's most elite combat units, and four villages in Sumy region have already fallen to advancing Russian forces, that's according to Ukrainian officials. Zelensky warned that Moscow's goal extends beyond Sumy. He said, quote, "Now they are accumulating troops in the direction of Sumy." He added that Russia would, quote, "do everything,"

to cross the administrative border of Dnipropetrovsk That's an eastern region long pummeled by Russian airstrikes and has so far been spared a full-scale ground assault Kyiv believes the immediate aim is to carve out a nearly 10-mile-wide buffer zone shielding Russian territory from future cross-border raids while forcing Ukraine to thin its defenses along the front It's not a new idea Russia first floated that plan in 2024 but shelved it

after Ukrainian forces staged their own incursion into Kursk. Now, the scheme appears to be back on Russia's planning table. Zelensky, speaking after an intelligence briefing on Monday, made no effort to hide his exasperation. There's no evidence, he said, that they are seriously considering peace. On the contrary, there's a lot of evidence that they are preparing new offensive operations."

Ukraine's military intelligence backs that claim, saying Russia's long-term objective remains unchanged: full control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Any gestures toward diplomacy, officials say, are simply delay tactics meant to buy time, replenish arms, and reposition forces for a looming summer push.

Efforts to reach even a temporary halt in fighting remain frozen. As we discussed this month on the PDB, Russian leader Putin rejected a proposed ceasefire during a 19 May phone call with President Trump. Instead, he promised to submit a quote "memorandum" detailing Moscow's conditions for a future settlement. That document was due Sunday but never materialized.

When pressed on the delay, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed to the weekend's 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner swap with Ukraine as the reason. Zelenskyy dismissed that excuse, calling it a flimsy cover for more foot-dragging. He said, quote, They talk a lot about diplomacy, but when in the midst of this there are constant Russian strikes, constant killings, constant assaults and preparations for new offensives, this is definitely a diagnosis, end quote.

Indeed, Moscow's rhetoric has not stopped the rockets. Russian missile and drone attacks have intensified in recent days, targeting Kyiv and critical energy infrastructure across the country, further calling into question, of course, the Kremlin's claims of restraint.

In response, Zelensky is urging Western allies to ratchet up pressure on the Kremlin, urging Washington and Brussels to enact new and strong sanctions to undercut Putin's war machine and force Moscow to engage seriously.

Officials speaking to the Washington Post echoed Zelensky's call, noting that while Russia may not have the manpower to break Ukrainian lines outright, coordinated Western pressure could still shift the balance. Zelensky bluntly added, quote, Russia deserves full-scale pressure, and given the Kremlin's latest moves, well, it's becoming increasingly difficult to argue otherwise.

Okay, sticking with Ukraine, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's attempt to project solidarity alongside President Zelensky in Berlin yesterday was eclipsed by backlash from his own party over muddled remarks on long-range missile deliveries to Kyiv.

Merz had hoped the visit would spotlight European resolve in the face of Russian escalation. Instead, well, it devolved into a public unraveling of Berlin's defense policy after the Chancellor appeared to greenlight the transfer of Taurus cruise missiles, only to reverse course just a day later. The controversy began Monday when Merz declared that there were, quote,

on Western-supplied weapons to Ukraine, suggesting a significant shift in Germany's position. The statement aligned Berlin with Washington, London, and Paris, which have already authorized strikes inside Russian territory using their respective weapons systems.

As we reported here on the PDB, such a move would represent a major policy pivot. Germany has until now withheld the Taurus system, worried that unleashing a missile with its over 300-mile-plus range might provoke direct retaliation from nuclear-armed Moscow. But by Tuesday, the message had changed. Mertz clarified that his remarks referred only to existing weapons that Ukraine already possesses, and

and insisted there was no new weapons deal, no new policy, and no consensus with NATO partners. A senior Christian Democratic Union Party lawmaker took to X to accuse the Chancellor of sowing confusion at a critical moment. He posted, "...there is no sign of Germany finally delivering Taurus cruise missiles because I still see no unity in the coalition and no political will to respond appropriately and with strength and consistency to Russia's massive escalation."

Merz's finance minister and the leftist Social Democratic Party leader piled on, insisting publicly there had been "no new agreement" that would alter Germany's cautious stance, underscoring deep fractures within the ruling coalition over how far Berlin is willing to go. Instead, the Chancellor's rhetorical whiplash deepened frustration both in Kiev and among Germany's allies.

The Taurus missile system, highly precise, long-range and long-requested by Ukraine, well, remains off-limits with no timeline for reversal. For those unfamiliar, Germany remains the second largest military donor to Ukraine after the U.S., but its refusal to send long-range strike capabilities is increasingly viewed as a strategic liability, particularly as those Russian troops we just mentioned mass near Sumy.

In an apparent bid to shift the narrative, Mertz used Wednesday's joint press conference to unveil a new pledge: Germany will help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems, unrestricted by Western policy. He said Germany would "strive to equip the Ukrainian army with all the capabilities that truly enable it to successfully defend the country." The chancellor added that Ukraine will be able to defend itself outside of its own territory.

Zelenskyy notably did not press the Taurus issue in public Instead, he welcomed the broader pledge of long-term defense cooperation But any momentum from the Berlin meeting was quickly undercut by a surprise statement out of Moscow Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov released a statement inviting Ukraine to resume direct peace talks in Istanbul on the 2nd of June Moscow, Lavrov claimed...

will present a new ceasefire proposal focused on the so-called, oh, here they come again, the root causes of the war. Well, you know, you could argue that the root cause of the war was Putin's invasion. But maybe I'm being churlish. Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky is set to lead the Russian delegation once again.

One detail conspicuously absent from the announcement, well, there was no mention again of whether Putin would be attending. Now, if I were a cynical betting man, I'd say that the sum total of zero progress will come out of the talks in Istanbul on the 2nd of June. Progress, meaningful progress, would require that Putin give up some of his long-standing hardline demands. And he's shown no sign of compromise to date.

All right. Coming up next in the back of the brief, the U.S. targets foreign officials who censor Americans online with new visa bans. I'll have those details next.

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- In today's Back of the Brief, the US State Department is going on offense against foreign censorship of American citizens. In an announcement on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that the Trump administration will begin imposing visa restrictions on foreign officials who are, quote, "Complicit in censoring Americans." Writing on X, Rubio declared, quote, "For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed, and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights.

Today, I'm announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign officials and persons who are complicit in censoring Americans."

While Rubio didn't name specific cases, the move comes amid growing concern over Europe's evolving stance on speech rights, especially when it comes to online content. In the UK, as an example, police recently arrested a retired officer for a social media post warning about anti-Semitism, sparking backlash from lawmakers who said authorities are now enforcing, quote, thought crimes.

Additionally, in the UK, authorities have threatened extradition and jail time to US citizens for online posts allegedly inciting violence from abroad London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley emphasized that individuals inciting racial hatred or violence online, even from outside the UK, could face legal consequences

Rubio's statement also called out governments around the world, including in Europe and Latin America, for trying to pressure U.S. tech companies into adopting global content moderation rules that could restrict what Americans are allowed to post online.

"Foreigners who work to undermine the rights of Americans should not enjoy the privilege of traveling to our country," Rubio said "The days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over." Now, that could mean visa restrictions for foreign government regulators, cyber officials, and even members of so-called disinformation boards in allied countries, anyone pushing rules or policies that silence U.S. citizens abroad

The new policy sends a blunt message to the world: If you police American speech, well, don't expect a warm welcome at the U.S. border.

And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Thursday, the 29th of May. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com. And don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. It's a humdinger. Just go to President's Daily Brief. That's at President's Daily Brief right there on YouTube. You can't miss it. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.