Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., on Tuesday introduced a bill aimed at probing how China could be using "sister cities" in the U.S. to spy on Americans and gain influence.

A sister city is a partnership between two communities in two different countries formed when officials from both nations make a formal agreement. A 2019 report by Sister Cities showed the U.S. had 157 partnerships in China.

Her bill, the Sister City Transparency Act, would require the Government Accountability Office to issue a report on sister city partnerships in the U.S., assess how "foreign communities could use sister city partnerships to conduct malign activities"; and review best practices for sister city partnerships to "ensure transparency," Blackburn's office said.

"Sister city partnerships are one of Beijing's favorite political weapons. Across the globe, Communist China has exploited these relationships, ostensibly to promote cultural exchange. The truth is that these partnerships are much more sinister and are part of the CCP's Belt and Road Initiative to achieve geostrategic goals," Blackburn said in a press release.

"It is imperative we shed light on these partnerships to determine whether they leave American communities vulnerable to foreign espionage and ideological coercion."

"The CCP has proven time and time again that they cannot be trusted. I'm proud to co-sponsor The Sister City Transparency Act that requires additional review of our procedures to ensure we are not enabling malign foreign activity by increasing much-needed oversight," she added.

Blackburn and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., originally introduced the bill in November.

Shanghai in 2020 cut ties with sister city Prague after Prague signed a sister-city agreement with Taipei in an attempt to challenge the one-China principle.

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