When discussing the challenge from China, from a national security focused perspective, it is natural to look at the growing military budget, number of ships, new aircraft, advancing missile technology, etc … but that misses the larger picture.
Going back to NATSEC101, we should keep an eye on all the instruments of national power: Diplomacy, Information, Military, and Economic (DIME).
Diplomatically, most glaring Chinese success against global norms has been the relative silence of most of the international community as they round up at least a few hundred thousand or more of their Uighurs Muslim majority in to re-education camps to make them more aligned with Han Chinese norms. Where are the marches, protests, recalled ambassadors, UN speeches? Good question.
Economically, they continue to grow in their #2 position globally with their eye on #1, and buy their way in to a well structured belt and road.
Their information campaign is where they have been having great success inside the USA simply by their spending power as a weapon. They have forced hotels to fire people, gaming companies to tow the CCP party line, and most shamefully – to something about USA as anything – forced the NBA in to an amazing kowtow when it comes to free speech. They are using their economic power to create desired effects in the information domain inside the USA.
Free speech. As with many things, totalitarians go after speech they don’t like first. In the NBA incident, the Chinese were helpful in clearly defining terms for all to see;
“We believe that any speech that challenges national sovereignty and social stability is not within the scope of freedom of speech.”
Make no mistake, information is as much of a tool to be used against the USA and her allies as any fleet, airwing, or missile brigade.
While in a republic of a free people, the people individually and collectively must respond to external threats to their way of life, and their government cannot be passive. Good news, I believe more and more people and institutions understand this and are looking for ways to respond. Earlier this week, CHINFO stated that the Navy has a role when it comes to Chinese propaganda;
…we do have a role in openly providing factual information to the public, made more pressing by the need to counter propaganda
How do we do this right not just overseas, but domestically? Who should have the lead where? Where is it proper for DOD to get in the game, and where are those red-lines they need to keep away from and defer to others?
Are our civilian businesses and institutions willing and able to resist- or as we’ve seen – are many of them under the influence of Chinese economic pressures?
This game has been afoot for quite awhile. We don’t just have to play catch up, we need to find out what the rules are, where China has advanced, where their critical vulnerabilities are, and where to jump in.
