How China pushes for world dominance

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

China will stop at nothing for world dominance. It seeks to surpass America’s economy, our military might and our international influence. We cannot allow that to happen.

The coronavirus — and China’s deliberate misinformation strategy during the pandemic — is just the latest proof it is no friend of ours or the world’s.

China’s 2050 plan is designed to unseat the United States as the world’s superpower. It is backing up that plan with hundreds of billions of dollars, investments around the globe and the creation of a domestic technology base, much of it stolen from America.

For many years, the United States supported China and allowed it to position itself for a larger role on the world stage. We invited China into the global economy, and permanently gave it “most-favored nation” trading status in 2000.

Policymakers need to face the truth: China’s Communist leaders don’t care about free markets — or freedom. They don’t care about the rule of law. And they don’t care about peace. They simply want dominance.

For too long, our leaders looked the other way as U.S. industries and American jobs moved to China. China has profited from cheating on trade, manipulating its currency, and stealing our trade secrets and intellectual property.

The FBI recently revealed that China has even been trying to steal American COVID-19 vaccine research so it can be the first to develop a vaccine.

All this must end now.

The United States is demanding an investigation into China’s role in unleashing the coronavirus. The Senate passed legislation to delist Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges for violating our rules.

This month, the Senate will vote on the National Defense Authorization Act, which will provide another opportunity to get tougher on China. It’s also an opportunity to invest smartly in our defense to counter China’s military buildup.

It’s time for America to defend freedom and ratchet up our influence in Asia. We need to support the brave citizens of Hong Kong fighting for democracy, and refuse to tolerate a Tiananmen Square-like crackdown on Hong Kong’s autonomy. That includes sanctions, and ending preferential customs treatment. We also need to reassure Taiwan of America’s support for its freedom.

Here at home, we have to root out the Trojan horse technology and banking companies that are subsidiaries of the Chinese military. Huawei, which wanted to run America’s 5G cellular network, is a prime example.

Of course we want faster Internet and better rural broadband access. But we won’t achieve that by allowing companies that spy for the Chinese government to gain control of our telecommunications infrastructure. We need to manufacture more of this vital equipment at home, and work with our allies for a reliable supply chain secure from Chinese interference.

Already, the Trump administration has taken action to move our semiconductor industry home. These small electrical components keep the lights on in our homes. Imagine an attack on our electric grid or Internet. Our ability to respond would be crippled in minutes.

From here on out, rare-earth minerals and other essential materials must be domestically sourced or supplied by our allies.

The coronavirus pandemic has also starkly illustrated that we need to end our reliance on China as a primary source of medical supplies and lifesaving drugs. This is about keeping control of the systems that make our country run. Moving key industries home is vital for national security, American jobs and our health.

We need to provide tax incentives for companies relocating back home. We should also place tariffs on critical industrial, electronic or medical products coming from China to remove the incentive to move supply chains there.

The virus has made it clear that, instead of helping China, we have to rebuild America and get our people back to work in 21st century jobs. The United States — and the rest of the world — must end its reliance on China before it’s too late.

• John Barrasso, a Republican U.S. senator from Wyoming, is chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. Martha McSally, a Republican U.S. senator from Arizona, served for 26 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a colonel, and sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.