Photo by: USC News
China’s Communist Government (CCG) is the Greatest Challenge to Our Economic Growth
Taiwan is this generation’s Cuba.
Our way of life depends on foreign markets
The world depends on us to protect freedom and free trade
I have lived, worked and owned a business in Asia for almost 20 years. I have learned with great depth of understanding the business culture, strategy and ambition of China. I was in Hong Kong in August 2020 when the CCG occupied the country. We must move quickly and decisively to rebuild our presence and secure our foreign markets.
The last administration left us vulnerable. Trump's administration pulled the US back from our global leadership role, made friends with our enemies and devastated our position in foreign markets. While all this was happening the CCG took full advantage and aggressively expanded into Eastern Africa and ring fenced Asia thereby greatly limiting the US’s role in political and economic activity in these areas. The CCG also invested heavily in their infrastructure, 8 trillion dollars per year, and military giving them the confidence and capability to challenge the US’s global leadership.
We must be willing to use our strengths to reopen foreign markets and continue to demonstrate our ability to deliver superior products and innovation. CCG is following a pattern of Hitler’s move across Europe but with greater sophistication, scope, and ability to support their actions and maintain control over occupied territories. CCG first occupied territories they thought to be their own: Tibet and Hong Kong. Now CCG is using military aggression to test the United States support of Taiwan.
But more damaging to the US's free trade approach is their policy of economic exclusion. For years, CCG has been systematically insinuating themselves into the government, economy, and people of countries thereby rendering them under virtual control of CCG. This allows CCG to restrict the United States from access to foreign markets and diminish our global leadership role. They accomplish this by three main strategies:
economic leverage
Belt and Road, and
military power
The last, military power, is new to CCG. They are a country that has never demonstrated strong military ability toward foreign powers and their strong domestic economy, big budget spending on infrastructure and military, and four times the population of the US makes the threat very real. In a short time, the United States will not be able to match the military capability of CCG and at that point the options available are limited and devastating.
Economic leverage is their most efficient method of taking over markets and whole countries. CCG is more comfortable with a back door approach to economic terrorism. They lend money to countries, buy into their businesses, and through these means they are able to influence and force governments to make decisions in their favor. This is usually blocking free trade, and in some instances, surrendering assets. Zambia was unable to make payments on $3 billion in loans from CCG so their port was seized. Zambia is an important source of copper and other metals for CCG. CCG had already bought into the copper mining industry and so with ownership of mines and now control of the port they have “bought” a country for what the US military spends in a day and a half.
However, the biggest coup was over the last five years. While the US was waging a trade war with CCG, which was costing our farmers and manufacturers billions in revenue, the CCG was seizing and locking down markets. CCG had no problems rerouting shipments to bypass the trade embargoes and profiting greatly. The US, sadly, retrenched and losses were offset by government support, meaning billions of government debt and loss of valuable markets. During this period CCG enjoyed record surpluses from the US, in part, by Covid related medical equipment sales.
Belt and Road is unequivocally the most alarming and provides the clearest insight into CCG’s objectives. The Belt and Road initiative is an infrastructure plan to connect Asia as one trading zone interlinked with rail, road, and telecommunications. In essence, CCG is expanding its border to almost all of Asia. Once connected it will be practically impenetrable to foreign intervention and function as a single trading region much like the EU only much, much bigger and in less need of outside trade. This Belt and Road could alienate the rest of the world and give CCG the opportunity to take over more countries or influence their agendas. So far only India and Australia have pushed back, but these are weak attempts towards this super power. The US still has no response to the Belt and Road initiative.
The current aggressive stance of China is not from nowhere. It has come from a determined strategy of expansion made possible by us taking our eye off the ball for the last 5 years.
My Thoughts
1st Quarter Goal Deadline: December 31
We have raised over $74,000 dollars and our goal is $100,000. I need your support. This first quarter goal sends a critical message to national organizations, endorsements and Dems up and down this district that we are a force with which to be reckoned. $50, $100, $500 or more. Now is the time to make our mark. We are so close; help push us over the top!
Out and About
From Kennewick to Nespelem. I travelled a good part of Congressional District 4 to meet with people. I was taught firearm safety in Benton City and met with fellow democrats in Kennewick. I drove to Nespelem to meet with the Colville Tribes and had fund raisers and factory tours. I take the "Representative" part of the job title very seriously. Know the people, hear their concerns and be their voice.