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.  

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.  

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 

00:01:31 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 

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

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 

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. 

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.  

00:00:01 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 

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.  

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

00:01:26 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

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. 

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.

00:00:01 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

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. 

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. 

00:00:01 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 

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 

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