OKC Standard

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been immensely expanding its influence in the Western Hemisphere in an attempt to drastically change the current world order. The CCP not only seeks to intimidate and threaten the U.S. and our allies, but they pose one of the most serious national security threats this country has faced in decades. Unfortunately, the White House has continuously turned a blind eye to their increasing aggression.

The most recent provocation by China involves a threat to the U.S. on the geopolitical front. China and Cuba have reached a secret agreement allowing China to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island, roughly 100 miles from Florida. This unprecedented new threat would give Chinese intelligence services the ability to scoop up electronic communications throughout the southeastern U.S., where numerous military bases are located, as well as monitor U.S. ship traffic. Reports say that Beijing agreed to pay Havana several billion dollars for this secret partnership that would allow China to further challenge the U.S., as we are its greatest economic and military rival. American citizens have seen time and time again that China plays a dangerous game in the espionage world, and our country must be protected from the very real and present threat posed by the CCP. Just as the incident with the Chinese spy balloon, this should be a massive wake up call.

The ever-present threat of the CCP is a challenge that House Republicans have countered through several pieces of legislation, and we will continue to combat this threat throughout the 118th Congress. In the first month of Republicans in the majority, I reintroduced the Save America’s Valuable Energy Act. This ensures that in the future, we will not send a single barrel from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to our adversaries, including China. Energy security is national security, and President Biden continues to weaken America while strengthening China.

In addition, there have also been heightened concerns about China’s quietly growing influence across U.S. academia and young Americans. In May, I wrote a letter to President Biden regarding an organization based in China, the Primavera Capital Group, that received approval to purchase a tutoring firm that contracts with the U.S. military and K-12 schools throughout the nation. These types of entities in China are routinely required to share their data with the Chinese government, which could ultimately compromise the personal data of American citizens.

In month one of winning the House, the Republican majority was quick to establish a Select Committee on China with bipartisan support. This committee has been paramount in confronting the dangers posed by the CCP, protecting American competitiveness, securing our intellectual property, and defending human rights.

The Biden Administration misleads the public and downplays CCP aggression to preserve political and economic engagement. All the while, the Chinese government has the global economy in a chokehold. They continue to corner the market when it comes to rare and critical minerals, including those needed for our warfighters, for battery production, and for transponders and other critical energy needs.

It is clear that China is uninterested in creating win-win cooperation with the U.S. Every action taken by the CCP is a step closer to solidifying its economic, political, and social influence upon the western world. China is getting bolder and stronger in its ever-increasing provocations. These Chinese threats are not even in our backyard anymore. They are at our doorstep.

Original source can be found here.