Last week, NBC tweeted “…President Biden has made a flurry of international phone calls to American allies, including the leaders of Canada, Britain, France, Japan, and China.” China may be an ally to some of America’s business and political elites, but it is far from an ally to the American people.
Canada, Britain, France, and Japan, while different countries with distinct histories and cultures, are all constitutional democracies with free markets. Conversely, China is controlled by an unforgiving communist regime that represses domestic opposition and undermines American interests. NBC’s description of China as an ally demonstrates just how effective China’s influence campaign has become, both abroad and here in the United States.
For decades, U.S. policymakers and politicians have taken too soft an approach to China. At an Iowa campaign event during the democratic primaries, then candidate Joe Biden mockingly said, “China’s gonna eat our lunch? Come on man!” This attitude reflects the apathetic approach the American ruling class has taken toward China for too long. The past four years, our strategic approach to China was significantly reformed by former President Trump. The Trump administration cracked down on intellectual property theft, imposed tariffs on Chinese goods, declared Confucius Institutes as foreign influence campaigns, and unleashed American energy to bolster our economic standing and national independence.
Just a few weeks into the new administration, President Biden has taken steps to reverse these policies. By banning fracking on public lands, cancelling the XL Keystone Pipeline project, and allowing China to access the U.S. power grid, Biden has undermined American energy independence, and hence, national security. Additionally, the Biden administration reversed a Trump era policy that required colleges to disclose ties to the CCP sponsored Confucius Institute. Biden’s destructive policies leave the U.S. more vulnerable to Chinese aggression and subversion.
While American politicians spoke of collaboration and free trade, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was plotting a new world order. By devaluing their currency, forcing technology transfers, and imposing tariffs on American imports, China has gutted the American working class since its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. The “China shock”, or rapid increase of imports of Chinese goods, has decimated rural communities and hindered the American economy.
Worse than the economic crimes China has perpetrated against the United States, the CCP has launched an assault on our democracy. In January, U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe published a letter warning that “the People’s Republic of China sought to influence the 2020 U.S. federal elections”. Further, Ratcliffe published an op-ed in December, which stated “China is targeting members of Congress with six times the frequency of Russia and 12 times the frequency of Iran.” One of the more high profile Chinese influence operations included Congressman Eric Swalwell’s affair with Christine Fang, a CCP spy. Mr. Swalwell has yet to be removed from his committee assignments.
China is many things, but an ally to the U.S. it is not. The CCP is a national security threat that seeks to rebuild the world order in its image. American leaders must stop pretending China is an ally, and instead recognize it for the adversary that it is.
