Some US states purge Chinese companies from investments amid tensions with China

FILE - The American and Chinese flags wave at Genting Snow Park ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 2, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. A sign for the Missouri State Employees' Retirement system is shown, with the office in the background, on July 23, 2024, in Jefferson City, Mo.

As state treasurer, Vivek Malek pushed Missouri's main retirement system to pull its investments from Chinese companies, making Missouri among the first nationally to do so. Now Malek is touting the Chinese divestment as he seeks reelection in an August 6 Republican primary against challengers who also are denouncing financial connections to China.