Introduction

John Ratcliffe, the former Director of National Intelligence, said in 2020 that “China poses the greatest threat to America today and the greatest threat to democracy and freedom worldwide since World War II. The intelligence is clear. Bejing intends to dominate the U.S. and the rest of the planet.”

Xi Consolidates Power

At the October 2022 Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress, China’s ruling CCP amended its constitution cementing Xi’s power by giving him an unprecedented third term as party general secretary.

New revisions to the constitution define Xi as the “core” leader of the party and made his ideas the guiding principles for China’s future development.

Xi vowed to root out dishonest officials when he became leader a decade ago. Since then, this thinly veiled political tool has been used to eliminate more than 1.5 million rivals. These purges have ensured Xi’s absolute control over personnel and policy.

Military Buildup

Beijing has the most powerful Navy and Air Force in the Pacific region. China has transformed what was an obsolete military into one that can challenge the U.S. while our military is 50 percent smaller than it was during the peak of the Regan buildup.

The CCP is building up its nuclear arsenal. The U.S. has taken a 30-year holiday in modernizing its nuclear arsenal, providing China the time to develop capabilities to match and overcome U.S. defenses.

Iran Saudi Alliance

The March 2023 agreement signed in Beijing that reestablished diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia after seven years of bitter rancor has cast China in a role as a global truce broker.

Saudi Arabia’s location at the crossroads of Afro-Eurasia makes investments there extremely attractive and the Saudis secured $50 billion of investments from China in December 2022.

The Iran/Saudi peace deal unlocks trade potential with Russia and China.

Conclusion

Chad Wolf, then Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, warned in 2020 that “the CCP views the United States as a political and ideological threat and seeks to destroy the United States. Our struggle with the CCP is nothing short of a civilizational conflict.”

Photo by Caireen Burns

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