26 September 2024

The challenge the United States faces in addressing China’s global ambitions is “almost overwhelming,” surpassing many of the country’s historical crises, according to Robert C. O’Brien, former national security adviser under the Trump administration. Speaking at an event in Washington hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, O’Brien expressed his concerns about the severity of the threat posed by Communist China.

“I’m not sure America has confronted a threat like this in our history,” O’Brien stated, drawing parallels to the Revolutionary War against the British, then the leading superpower. He emphasized that the current situation with China poses a more significant threat than what the U.S. faced during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

O’Brien believes that China’s ultimate goal is to impose its “Marxist-Leninist” ideology on the world. “They have an ideology they think can govern globally,” he remarked, highlighting the danger this poses not only to Americans but to people worldwide.

O’Brien’s comments come as experts speculate on U.S.-China relations under the next presidential administration, whether it be a second term for Trump or a first for current Vice President Kamala Harris. Bonny Lin, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted in a report that U.S. policy toward China and Taiwan is likely to remain consistent, regardless of the election outcome. Both potential administrations view China as a challenge to the international order and prioritize “managing” or “winning” against China.

While O’Brien clarified that he was not speaking on behalf of Trump, his insights may reflect the views of those likely to be part of a second Trump administration. He mentioned that such an administration would focus on demonstrating U.S. economic, diplomatic, and military strength against China’s unfair practices, including intellectual property theft and currency manipulation.

During his time in the White House, O’Brien observed China’s relentless efforts to expand its influence, whether through military harassment of neighbors or espionage. “Every time we countered them, they just reappeared elsewhere,” he said, underscoring their pervasive presence across multiple domains.

O’Brien emphasized the importance of maintaining strong alliances in the Indo-Pacific region, citing partnerships such as the Quad (with India, Australia, and Japan), and trilateral agreements involving the U.S., Japan, and South Korea. “These alliances intimidate the Chinese, as they recognize our combined strength can effectively counter their influence,” he stated.

O’Brien also stressed the need to modernize and expand the U.S. nuclear triad—its capacity to launch missiles from air, land, and sea—as China increases its nuclear capabilities. He warned that without prompt action, the U.S. could face a significant imbalance in nuclear deterrence, as both Russia and China continue to build their arsenals.

“We need to reengage in nuclear strategy,” he concluded, noting that while it might seem like a relic of the past, adversaries are still pursuing this path, necessitating effective deterrence measures from the U.S.

The post is based on the content of an article in the VOA NEWS

https://www.voanews.com/a/former-trump-official-sees-china-as-threat-like-no-other/7800988.html