( Washington Free
Beacon,2019-07-17 )
Dear
President Trump,
Over
America’s
exceptional history, successive generations have risen to the challenge of
protecting and furthering our founding principles, and defeating existential
threats to our liberties and those of our allies. Today, our generation is
challenged to do the same by a virulent and increasingly dangerous threat to
human freedoms – the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through the nation it misrules:
the People’s
Republic of China (PRC).
The
Chinese Communists’ stated ambitions are antithetical to America’s
strategic interests, and the PRC is increasingly taking actions that imperil
the United States and our allies. The past forty years during which America
pursued an open policy of “engagement” with the PRC have contributed materially to the incremental
erosion of U.S. national security.
This
cannot be permitted to continue.
China
is not as we wish it to be. In our political system, politics is the norm, and
war is the exception. It is explicitly the opposite in the PRC's worldview.
Going forward, we must better understand and deal with this dangerous
asymmetry.
We
the undersigned, are encouraged by the broad and coherent strategy of robust,
alternative policies you have adopted to confront the PRC’s
campaign to undermine the national interests of the United States and its
allies. We encourage you to stay the course on your path of countering
Communist China.
We
acknowledge and support your robust National Security Strategy that properly
sets forth why the United States must counter the PRC. Opposing the advance of
tyranny is fully in keeping with the founding principles of America and our
rich heritage of defending freedom and liberty, both at home and, where
necessary, abroad.
We
note the PRC does not recognize the principles and rules of the existing
international order, which under a Pax Americana has enabled the greatest
period of peace and global prosperity in mankind’s history. The PRC rejects
this order both ideologically and in practice. China’s rulers openly proclaim
and insist on a new set of rules to which other nations must conform, such as
their efforts to dominate the East and South China Seas and the so-called “Belt and
Road Initiative,” with its debt-trap diplomacy, designed to extend such hegemony
worldwide. The only persistently defining principle of the CCP is the
sustainment and expansion of its power.
Over
the past forty years of Sino-American relations, many American foreign policy
experts did not accurately assess the PRC’s intentions or attributed
the CCP’s
reprehensible conduct to the difficulties of governing a country of 1.3 billion
people. American policymakers were told time and again by these adherents
of the China-engagement school that the PRC would become a “responsible
stakeholder” once a
sufficient level of economic modernization was achieved. This did not happen
and cannot so long as the CCP rules China.
The
PRC routinely and systematically suppresses religious freedom and free speech,
including the imprisonment of over one million citizens in Xinjiang and the
growing suppression of Hong Kong’s autonomy. The PRC also routinely violates its obligations, as it
does with the World Trade Organization, freedom of navigation and the
protection of coral reefs in the South China Sea. Beijing then demands that its
own people and the rest of the world accept their false narratives and
justifications, demands aptly termed as "Orwellian nonsense."
The
PRC is not and never has been a peaceful regime. It uses economic and military
force – what it
calls its “comprehensive
national power” – to bully
and intimidate others. The PRC threatens to wage war against a free and
democratically led Taiwan.
It
is expanding its reach around the globe, co-opting our allies and other nations
with the promise of economic gain, often with authoritarian capitalism posing
as free commerce, corrupt business practices that go-unchecked,
state-controlled entities posing as objective academic, scientific or media
institutions and trade and development deals that lack reciprocity,
transparency and sustainability. The CCP corrupts everything it
touches.
This
expansionism is not random or ephemeral. It is manifestly the unfolding of the
CCP’s grand
strategy. The Party’s ambitions have been given many names, most recently the “China
Dream,” the “great
rejuvenation” of
China, or the “Community
of Common Destiny.” The “Dream” envisioned by the Communist Party is a nightmare for the Chinese
people and the rest of the world.
We
firmly support the Chinese people, the vast majority of whom want to live
peaceful lives.
But
we do not support the Communist government of China, nor its control by the
dangerous Xi Jinping clique. We welcome the measures you have taken to confront
Xi’s
government and selectively to decouple the U.S. economy from China’s
insidious efforts to weaken it. No amount of U.S. diplomatic, economic, or
military “engagement” will
disrupt the CCP’s grand strategy.
If
there is any sure guide to diplomatic success, it is that when America leads—other
nations follow. If history has taught us anything it is that clarity and
commitment of leadership in addressing existential threats, like from the PRC,
will be followed by our allies when policy prescriptions such as yours become a
reality. The PRC’s immediate strategy is to delay, stall, and otherwise wait out
your presidency. Every effort must be made therefore to institutionalize now
the policies and capabilities that can rebalance our economic relations with
China, strengthen our alliances with like-minded democracies and ultimately to
defeat the PRC’s global
ambitions to suppress freedom and liberty.
Stay
the Course!
Author of
Letter
James E. Fanell,Captain,
USN (Ret), Former Director of Intelligence & Information Operations
U.S. Pacific Fleet
List of
USA Signatures (Alphabetically)
Willard Anderson
Clarence Anthony，Lieutenant Colonel, USMC
(Ret)
Rod Azama ，Director The Chancellor Group
Bob Baker ，Former US Army Intelligence
Analyst
Tim
Beard ，Rear
Admiral, USN (Ret)
Michael
Bender，Commander,
USN (Ret)
Kenneth
Benway，Lieutenant
Colonel, USA (Ret) ，U.S. Army Special Forces
Paul
Berkowitz ，Former Staff Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
Joseph
Bosco ，Retired
Department of Defense
B. E.
Bostwick Jr. Senior Intelligence Officer, GS-15 (Ret) USPACOM
Christopher
Brassard ，President
Ten Eyck Group
Robert
Brodsky ，Captain,
USN (Ret)
Nick
Buck ，Captain,
USN (Ret)
Naushard
Cader， Board
Member/Director ，Center for War and Peace Studies
Roger
Canfield ， Author
americong.com and VVFH.org
Kevin
Carrico ，Senior
Lecturer，Monash
University
Dennis
Carroll，
Gordon
Chang,Writer
Edward
Connelly，PhD
Chinese, Australian National University ，Independent
Translator
David
Connelly III，Captain,
USN (Ret)
Henry F.
Cooper，Ambassador,
former Chief Defense & Space Negotiator with the Soviet Union, SDI
Director
Anders
Corr，PhD,
Publisher Journal of Political Risk
Demetrius
Cox，Lieutenant
Commander, USN (Ret) ，U.S. Pacific Fleet Veteran Intelligence Officer
Michael
Craven
Kenneth
deGraffenreid ，Former Special Assistant to the President, Senior Director of
Intelligence Programs, Ronald Reagan National Security Council
Chuck
DeVore，Lieutenant
Colonel, USAR (Ret) ，California State Assemblyman, 2004-2010; Special Assistant for
Foreign Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1986-1988
Markham
Dossett，Commander,
USNR (ret)
June
Teufel-Dreyer，Professor
of Political Science University of Miami
Ian
Easton，Research
Fellow Project 2049 Institute
Robert D.
Eldridge，President，The
Eldridge Think Tank
Richard
Fisher，
Art
Furtney ，Major,
USMC, (Ret)
Frank J.
Gaffney，Vice
Chairman Committee on the Present Danger: China
Samantha
Gay，
Kerry K.
Gershaneck，Professor
& Senior Research Associate Thammasat University ，Faculty
of Law (CPG)
Bill
Gertz， Author
“Deceiving
the Sky: Inside Communist China’s Drive for Global Supremacy”
Paul
Giarra，Commander,
U.S. Navy (Ret)，
Chadwick
Gore, Former Staff Director House Foreign Affairs Europe,
Eurasia, Emerging Threats subcommittee
James
Grundvig, Freelance Investigative Journalist
Ilango
Gurusamy, Owner, Freedom on Wheels LLC and Propellant Software
Lianchao
Han, Vice-President Citizen Power Initiatives for China
Heath
Hansen, Specialist, USA (Ret) ,Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan
William
Hawkins, President Hamilton Center for National Strategy
Donald
Henry, Captain, USN, (Ret)
William
C. Horn, Captain, USN (Ret)
Bradley
Johnson, President Americans for Intelligence Reform
Frank
Kelly, Captain, USN (Ret)
Miles
Killoch
Roy
Kirvan, PhD, U.S. Intelligence Community (Ret)
Ted
Kresge, Lieutenant General, USAF (Ret) ,Former Vice Commander U.S. Pacific Air Forces
Emil
Levine, Captain, USNR, (Ret)
Steve
Lewandowski
Ben
Lowsen, China Strategist U.S. Air Force / Sawdey Solution Services,
LLC
Holly
Lynch, Democrat Candidate for NY's 10th Congressional District
Tim
Lyon, Captain, USN (Ret)
Victor
Mair, Professor University of Pennsylvania
Rod
Martin, Founder &p; CEO The Martin Organization, Inc.
Tidal W.
McCoy, Former Acting Secretary of the U.S. Air Force
Thomas G.
McInerney, Lieutenant General, USAF (Ret), Assistant Vice Chief
of Staff U.S. Air Force
Randy
McSmith ,Master Chief Petty Officer, USN (Ret)
John
Mengel, Captain, USN (Ret)
Paul
Midler, Author “What’s Wrong with China”
John
Mills, Colonel, USAR (Ret), Director (Ret)
Cybersecuritry Policy, Strategy, and International
Affairs
James
Mishina, Lieutenant Colonel, USA (Ret), U.S. Tax Payer
Wayne
Morris, Colonel, USMC (Ret), Numerous Military
Veteran Associations
Steven
Mosher, President Population Research Institute
Denis
Muller, Lieutenant Colonel, USMC (Ret)
Merle
Mulvaney, Lieutenant Colonel, USA (Ret), Member, Red Star
Rising
Charles “Chuck”
Nash, Captain USN (Ret)
Jim
Newman, Captain, USN (Ret) JHU/APL
Grant
Newsham, Colonel, USMCR (retired) Visiting Scholar,
National Chengchi University, Taiwan
Roscoe
Nicholson II, International Consultant
Peter
O'Brien, Captain, USN (Ret)
Edward
O'Dowd, PhD; Colonel, USA, (Ret)
Kyle
Olbert, Director of Operations East Turkistan National
Awakening Movement
Don
Oliphant, President DWO Enterprises
Robert
Oster, Private Investor
Rebeca
Page, Publisher SD Metro Magazine
Robert
Page, Chairman/CEO REP Publishing, Inc.
Russ
Penniman, Rear Admiral, USN (Ret),Former Reserve Deputy Commander
U.S. Pacific Fleet
Lawrence
Peter, Lieutenant Commander, USN (Ret)
Peter
Pry,Dr. ; Director EMP Task Force
Robert
Rector,
Eric
Reddig, U.S. Navy Veteran
J.R.
Reddig, Captain, USN, (Ret)
Louis
Riggio ,
Eric
Rohrbach
Robert
Rohrer
Gerard
Roncolato, Captain, USN (Ret.)
Warren
Henry Rothman
Robert
Rubel, Captain, USN (Ret)
Mark
Safranski, Publisher zenpundit.com
Michael
Schauf, Captain USN (Ret), Military Intelligence
Stuart
Schippereit, Commander, USN (Ret), Former naval intelligence
analyst
Paul
Schmehl, VVFH
Suzanne
Scholte, President Defense Forum Foundation
Carl
Schuster, Captain, USN (Ret) ,Adjunct Faculty, Hawaii Pacific University
Dan
Seesholtz, Captain, USN (Ret)
Lawrence
Sellin, Colonel, USAR (Ret), Iraq and Afghanistan
veteran
William
Sharp, Former Host, Asia in Review
Stephen
Sherman, Director RADIX Foundation
J. Scott
Shipman, Owner B.B. Hoss, Inc.
Joseph
Smith, President (Ret) Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals
Fred
Smith, Captain, USN (Ret), Lecturer, Macquarie
University,
Sydney,
Australia
Peter
Smith, Captain, USN (Ret) Consultant
Pete
Speer, Lieutenant Commander, USN (Ret), Member, Red Star
Rising
William
A. Stanton, Former Director of the American Institute in
Taiwan
Guy
Stitt,, CEO AMI International
Duane
Stober, Captain, USNR, (Ret), Former Reserve Intelligence Coordinator
Area One
Mark
Stokes, Executive Director Project 2049 Institute
Fred Stratton, Commander, USN (Ret)
Gary Stubblefield
Commander, USN (Ret)
John Tate Commander, USN
(Ret)
Bradley Thayer Professor
University of Texas San Antonio
Mark Tiernan Captain,
USNR (Ret)
John J. Tkacik Director,
Future Asia Project International Assessment and Strategy Center
Don Tse Lead researcher
SinoInsider
Paul Valleley Major
General, USA (Ret) Chairman Stand Up America
John E. Vinson Captain
USN, (Ret)
Thomas Wade
Arthur Waldron，Lauder Professor of international Relations University of
Pennsylvania
Yana Way Educator, Way
Tutoring
Toshi Yoshihara PhD,
Author “Red Star Over the Pacific”
James Zumwalt Lieutenant
Colonel, USMC (Ret)
Jennifer Zeng
Foreign Signatures
Terence Russell Senior
Scholar University of Manitoba Canada
Doris Liu Independent
documentary journalist Canada
Jianli Yang Founder
& President Citizen Power Initiatives for China China
Elena Bernini CEO Oxford
Omnia International Italy
Satoshi Nishihata
Washington Bureau Chief The Liberty, Happy Science USA Japa
Larry Ong， SinoInsider，Senior Analyst，Singapore
Chu-Cheng Ming，SinoInsider，Senior Researcher，Taiwan
