Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World

Red Shadows: Unveiling China's Coercive Campaign for Influence in the United States

The Vandenberg Coalition — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 14:00:00 -0400

Thank you to our friends at the Heritage Foundation for co-hosting this live conversation on the CCP's growing influence operations inside the United States!

Guests:

Bryan Burack | The Heritage Foundation

Brian Cavanaugh | American Global Strategies

Jacqueline Deal | Long Term Strategy Group

Michele Exner | Parents Defending Education

Host:

Carrie Filipetti | The Vandenberg Coalition

The rise of China isn’t just a foreign concern. Over the last few years, there have been multiple incidents of Chinese attacks against our homeland, from the 2023 spy balloon, to inciting the fentanyl crisis, to influencing our students and children in schools and online. What are the CCP’s political, economic, and diplomatic aims against the United States? How does Chinese soft power influence American culture, education, and media? How is U.S. national security compromised by China’s influence operations on America's homeland? Addressing these questions requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving experts from various domains in the complex U.S.-Chinese relationship. Amid a period of heightened U.S.-Chinese relations, speakers will dissect the litany of China’s influence operations in the United States and the importance of defending American national security at a time of China’s malign campaign for global dominance.

In this series, the Vandenberg Coalition shifts the focus beyond the Indo-Pacific and into various regions around the world where the Chinese Communist Party continues to threaten American interests. Each episode in the series discusses China’s growing influence in a given region, how it measures against American influence, how to define our relationship with the region in light of competing priorities, and what America can and should be doing to better protect and advance our national interests.

Beyond the Great Wall: China's Ambitions in the Multilateral System

The Vandenberg Coalition — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 08:45:00 -0400

In this installment of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World,” leading experts discuss China’s growing influence in multilateral organizations. Executive Director of The Vandenberg Coalition Carrie Filipetti speaks with former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues and the U.S. Representative at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women Kelley Currie and former Chief of Staff to U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Nikki R. Haley Morgan Viña, who outline ways for the United States to effectively counter the CCP while strengthening our leadership role on the global stage.

00:00:00 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

00:01:31 Mechanisms for China’s engagement at the United Nations

00:03:33 CCP’s objectives in the international system

00:09:37 China on the offense: successes at the United Nations

00:18:10 Discrepancy in UN funding contributions between the U.S. and China

00:20:23 China’s takeover of the World Health Organization

00:26:18 Need for strategic reform of the American role in the United Nations

00:34:37 Criticism of the UN’s inherent value in promoting American interests

00:39:44 U.S.-China competition in the UN Human Rights Council

00:49:28 China’s alliance-building efforts to supplant U.S.-led multilateral organizations

00:51:54 Biden’s inability to leverage American power in international institutions

00:56:29 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

The Far East Meets the Middle: Examining China’s Growing Influence in the Middle East

The Vandenberg Coalition — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 07:00:00 -0400

In this installment of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence

Around the World,” leading experts discuss China’s growing influence in

the Middle East. Vandenberg Coalition Executive Director Carrie

Filipetti speaks with Associate Professor of National Security Strategy

at the National War College Dr. Dawn Murphy, Managing Director and

Lane-Swig Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Michael Singh, and Craig Singleton, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for

Defense of Democracies to discuss China’s growing influence in the

Middle East.

In this series, the Vandenberg Coalition shifts the focus beyond the

Indo-Pacific and into various regions around the world where the Chinese

Communist Party continues to threaten American interests. Each episode

in the series discusses China’s growing influence in a given region, how

it measures against American influence, how to define our relationship

with the region in light of competing priorities, and what America can

and should be doing to better protect and advance our national

interests.

00:00:00 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

00:01:36 China’s response to Hamas’ attacks & the ensuing war in Gaza

00:05:59 China’s strategic loss of Israel after October 7th

00:08:17 CCP objectives for regional influence & supplanting U.S. role in the Middle East

00:15:20 Future of the Israeli-China relationship

00:20:18 Discrepancy between internal & external CCP statements

00:23:55 America’s evolving strategic role in the Middle East

00:28:20 China’s perspective on the Abraham Accords & eroding leverage over Iran

00:36:24 Tripartite dynamic between Russia, China, & Iran

00:45:10 CCP amplification of antisemitism via TikTok

00:50:15 False binary between the United States & China

00:55:54 U.S. Chinese competition in the Middle East

01:00:55 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

Reaching for the Stars: China's Advancement in the Space Race

The Vandenberg Coalition — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 06:15:00 -0400

Over the last few years, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has increased its investment in outer space, a domain historically dominated by the United States. China’s space research and exploration ambitions threaten to undermine American interests in orbit and pose national security concerns for the United States on the ground. The Vandenberg Coalition welcomes Dean Cheng, Senior Advisor to the China Program at the United States Institute of Peace and Kari Bingen, former U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, to examine this threat and discuss ways for the United States to effectively counter the CCP in outer space.

00:00:00 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

00:01:15 Impact of space on American life

00:07:16 China’s mechanisms to supplant U.S. dominance in space

00:11:02 Implications of China’s development of counter-space capabilities

00:14:35 Artificial intelligence & communications in space

00:18:22 Civil-military fusion in China vs. the U.S. government’s commercial reliance

00:25:15 Spectrum of American space defense capabilities

00:27:09 Pathways for space classification, control, & cooperation

00:30:50 Areas of American dominance & underdeveloped technologies in space

00:38:46 Coordination between space companies, the U.S. government, & allied nations

00:43:32 Policymakers’ complex protective mechanisms over private companies

00:51:00 Biden’s 2024 space budget request increase

00:52:58 Consequences of the limited legal architecture governing space

00:57:01 Space as a strategic dimension of U.S.-Chinese competition

01:00:35 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

The New Scramble for Africa: A Competition for Influence and Race for Resources

The Vandenberg Coalition — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 06:15:00 -0400

In this installment of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World,” leading experts discuss China’s growing influence in Africa. Vandenberg Coalition Executive Director Carrie Filipetti speaks with Vandenberg Coalition Advisory Board Members Amb. J. Peter Pham, former U.S. Special Envoy for the Sahel Region and for the Great Lakes Region of Africa, and Aleksandra Gadzala Tirziu, a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council.

00:00:01 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

00:02:09 Geopolitical implications of Africa’s economic, political, & population growth

00:04:45 Beijing’s strategic aims in Africa

00:10:37 Absence of comprehensive U.S. strategy towards Africa

00:12:07 Africa’s evolving view of China

00:17:30 Examples of African nations leveraging in negotiations with China

00:22:30 African youth favorability towards the United States

00:31:00 American diplomatic failings in engagement with Africa

00:37:07 Prevalence of BRI in Africa & potential for American “strategic corridors”

00:42:58 CCP “Debt-trap diplomacy” & avenues for U.S. alternatives to Chinese financing

00:48:44 China’s strategic weaponization of Africa’s critical minerals

00:53:58 Opportunities for U.S. engagement in African mining industries

00:58:16 Steps for U.S. engagement in Africa

01:01:37 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

The Road Ahead: China's Growing Footprint in South Asia

The Vandenberg Coalition — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0400

In this installment of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World,” leading experts cover China’s expanding role in India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Vandenberg Coalition Executive Director Carrie Filipetti speaks with Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at Center for a New American Security and Nargis Nehan, who formerly served as Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum.

00:00:00 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

00:01:26 Development of China’s recent interest in South Asia

00:04:19 China’s efforts to counter India

00:07:49 China’s engagement in Afghanistan since the U.S. withdrawal

00:13:14 Options for U.S. deterrence of China in Afghanistan

00:19:20 Implications of cultural differences between China & the Taliban

00:23:01 Biden Administration’s romanticization of U.S.-Taliban cooperation

00:28:57 Congressional response to the U.S.’s withdrawal from Afghanistan

00:32:31 China-Pakistan economic corridor

00:35:37 Beijing’s debt-trap diplomacy

00:40:39 U.S. policy options in South Asia

00:50:55 Likelihood of a U.S.-China proxy conflict in South Asia

01:02:50 Implications of CCP influence displacing U.S. values

01:07:17 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

It Takes Two to Tango: China’s Growing Influence in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Vandenberg Coalition — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 06:00:00 -0400

In this installment of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World,” leading experts provide insights and analysis into China’s malign influence in our hemisphere or neighborhood: Latin America. Vandenberg Coalition Executive Director Carrie Filipetti speaks with Director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Dr. Ryan Berg and Dr. R. Evan Ellis, professor of Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute.

00:00:01 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

00:01:23 U.S.-Latin American security & defense cooperation and foreign direct investment (FDI)

00:04:46 China’s global export of political ideology

00:06:51 Implications of China’s control over critical minerals for the United States

00:10:28 Weaknesses of Latin American regulatory architecture

00:13:22 China’s geopolitical and economic advantages over the West in Latin America

00:19:07 Three historical phases of China’s strategic engagement in Latin America

00:23:37 Risks of China’s involvement in Latin America’s defense sector

00:30:19 Threat of Chinese interoperability in Latin America

00:40:56 China’s role in Latin American democratic backsliding

00:45:24 Nexxus between China and U.S. fentanyl epidemic

00:51:34 Mexico’s role in the global fentanyl trade & American border policy

00:56:18 U.S. grand strategy of Chinese deterrence in Latin America

01:00:06 Balance of U.S. strategic interests and values

01:05:19: Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

A Bad Romance: China's Relationship with Europe

The Vandenberg Coalition — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 07:45:00 -0400

In this installment of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World,” leading experts discuss the CCP’s growing influence in Europe. Vandenberg Coalition Executive Director Carrie Filipetti speaks with Hudson Institute Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia Peter Rough and former Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe and Russia Affairs Ryan Tully.

00:00:01 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

00:01:00 History of relations between Europe & China

00:04:49 Europe’s joint confrontation of Russia & China

00:07:45 China’s strategy for influence in Europe

00:08:17 Italy & England’s disengagement & France’s appeasement of China

00:12:12 From Trump to Biden: U.S. diplomatic alternatives for Europe

00:20:15 U.S. & European alignment in approach to China

00:25:10 War in Ukraine’s exposure of the U.S.-European industrial shortcomings

00:29:10 Impact of Trump’s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty

00:32:32 Europe’s hypothetical military & economic response to China’s invasion of Taiwan

00:33:57 NATO’s revival as security guarantor of Europe

00:41:02 European instances of successful ‘de-risking’

00:51:52 Primary U.S. priorities for engagement with Europe & deterrence of China

00:54:32 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

Rising to the Challenge: Addressing China's Economic Threats to the United States

The Vandenberg Coalition — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0400

In this installment of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World,” leading experts cover one of the most critical and contentious aspects of U.S. China competition: economic policy. Vandenberg Coalition Executive Director Carrie Filipetti speaks with former Chief of Staff for the U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Clete Willems, former Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, on rising to the challenge: addressing China’s economic threats to the United States.

In this series, the Vandenberg Coalition shifts the focus beyond the Indo-Pacific and into various regions around the world where the Chinese Communist Party continues to threaten American interests. Each episode in the eight-part series discusses China’s growing influence in a given region, how it measures against American influence, how to define our relationship with the region in light of competing priorities, and what America can and should be doing to better protect and advance our national interests.

Timestamps:

00:00:02 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

00:00:58 Goals of U.S. economic policy towards China

00:02:07 Impact of China’s economic rise on global political and military systems

00:02:56 Historical impact of America’s failed assessment of China’s economic policy

00:05:27 Recent news coverage of China’s economic stagnation

00:07:04 Impact of China’s crackdown on the private sector and U.S. businesses

00:09:05 China’s unreliable disclosure of economic data

00:09:33 CCP’s framework for China’s global economic dominance

00:12:37 U.S. policy response to economic interdependence with China

00:15:48 Risks of U.S. business in China and need for targeted export controls and tariffs

00:17:46 Political discussion around China’s threat to U.S. domestic economy

00:19:40 ‘De-risking’ vs. ‘Decoupling’

00:21:22 Biden Administration’s outbound investment controls

00:23:55 Inadequate enforcement of U.S.’s outbound investment controls

00:25:08 Measures to reduce reliance on China’s supply chain control

00:27:38 ‘Friend shoring’: U.S. need for targeted sectoral trade agreements

00:29:19 Rationale for the four-year review of trade tariffs

00:30:24 Efficacy of targeted tariffs on China

00:34:37 Biden’s backtrack on the Phase One deal

00:37:51 U.S. business and economic alternatives to China

00:38:46 Reconsidering permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with China

00:43:48 U.S. alignment with allies on economic controls

00:46:06 Developing a harder line with European allies

00:47:37 Role of bilateral free trade agreements

00:49:08 Diversifying supply chain away from China

00:53:54 IPEF Supply Chain Agreement as an alternative to FTA

00:58:35 Development of a complementary defensive and offensive U.S. trade strategy

01:01:52 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

Navigating China's Backyard: A Closer Look at China in the Indo-Pacific Region

The Vandenberg Coalition — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 14:00:00 -0400

For the kickoff of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World,” leading experts cover China’s own backyard—the Indo-Pacific—to lay the groundwork for their strategic interests and activity around the world. Vandenberg Coalition Executive Director Carrie Filipetti speaks with former Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Feith, and Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, for a closer look at China in the Indo-Pacific region.

In this series, the Vandenberg Coalition shifts the focus beyond the Indo-Pacific and into various regions around the world where the Chinese Communist Party continues to threaten American interests. Each episode in the eight-part series discusses China’s growing influence in a given region, how it measures against American influence, how to define our relationship with the region in light of competing priorities, and what America can and should be doing to better protect and advance our national interests.

Timestamps:

00:00:03 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

00:01:03 China’s true aims in Xi’s own words

00:02:23 Xi Jinping’s Leninist ideology

00:05:00 Xi’s attack on the premise of sovereign nation-states

00:06:20 Implications of a future world order with Beijing as central authority

00:08:39 Increasing totalitarian nature of the CCP’s international statecraft

00:11:57 U.S. presidential candidates’ campaign focus on China

00:14:41 Candidates united on identifying the China challenge but differ in policy response

00:16:17 Relation between U.S. semiconductor policy and defense of Taiwan

00:16:53 Taiwan as prerequisite to dominance in the Indo-Pacific

00:18:07 Impact of potential Chinese subjugation or invasion of Taiwan

00:20:03 Potential invasion of Taiwan and the disruption to U.S. economy

00:22:29 Debate on Taiwan in U.S. presidential campaigns

00:26:01 Biden Administration’s recognition of the China problem and its implications

00:26:59 Rhetoric in presidential campaigns around increased defense spending

00:28:34 U.S. leadership of regional military coalitions in countering China

00:31:24 Absence of Western economic coalitions in China strategy

00:32:34 Comparison of U.S. and Chinese military spending and preparedness

00:37:32 International implications of a ‘peaked’ China

00:42:28 Americans’ historical tendency to underestimate adversaries

00:45:49 China’s control of semiconductors and implications for U.S. supply chains

00:46:38 Costs of ‘de-risking’ and impacts on U.S. national security

00:48:46 China’s weaponization of critical mineral supplies

00:52:49 China’s economic and security coercion

00:53:34 The Biden Administration’s diplomatic approach in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East

00:55:29 Need for a more active U.S. diplomatic approach in offering an alternative to China

00:56:48 Credibility of U.S. commitment to allies

00:59:32 Need for U.S. bilateral trade and investment agreements with TPP members

01:01:38 U.S. ‘pivot’ of military resources to Asia

01:03:33 Continued U.S. presence in the Middle East

01:05:22 U.S. consultation of allies for defense posture, diplomacy, and economic policy

01:09:51 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti