So, what's on today's plate? Let's getting cracking on China's not so invisible weapon, as pointed out by our good friend Spalding. He's convinced it's being used to wage a stealth war on the US. His fear isn't the traditional show of military might, but how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is quietly swindling technology, infiltrating businesses, and using American investor funds to support its interest. Spooky, right?
Before you ask, it's not about tanks and jets anymore. Spalding argues that in the 21st-century warfare has evolved to be waged through economics, finance, data, manufacturing, and communications. Forget the boom-boom-pow, the CCP is skillfully increasing its global influence through its savvy manipulation of these areas. Let that sink in for a moment.
Here's the kicker. Does freedom of speech and religion ring a bell? Well, the CCP isn't a big fan. The truth is, these values pose a threat to their way of governance. Some may even say they're threatened by the principles of the United States Constitution. If the CCP gets its way, our fundamental freedoms may be at stake. It's certainly food for thought.
In this engaging narrative, Spalding unveils attempts to bring the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) influence on America's corporate world into the light and the pushback from certain American elites with financial ties to China. Detailed examples of these links, such as Senator Mitch McConnell's familial connections and Hunter Biden's billion-dollar partnership with the Bank of China, enrich the narrative.
Interestingly, certain influential figures are presented as prioritizing personal financial gain over national security. How deeply this has infiltrated the political and financial sectors of the US is concerning. It's not solely about individuals. When a think tank, influenced by money from China, shut down a study on CCP operations, it shed a troubling light on the extent of China's influence.
The concept of 'Unrestricted Warfare' plays a crucial role in the ongoing money power dynamic, a war without battlefields mapped out in a 1999 Chinese book. It focuses on wielding influence, not through military might, but via financial and political channels, subtly manipulating governments and major institutions.
At the heart of this narrative is an urgent call for American citizens to awaken to the potential threat posed by Chinese influence, and take proactive measures to safeguard their freedom and independence. The endgame of CCP appears to be to overshadow the United States as the world economic and military superpower by leveraging non-combat pathways to power.
Shining a light on China's political landscape, one key element stands out - its authoritarian government functioning under the rule by law. It's a system in which it's the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that shapes the law, robbing its citizens of any recourse. This power structure places the CCP as the ultimate authority, and the most influential entity within China.
Notably, the CCP has devised a long-term strategy known as the 'hundred-year marathon' plan. It's rooted in their desire to resurrect China's historical grandeur and get back at past humiliating incidents. This meticulously drawn plan took flight when Mao Zedong came to power in 1949, manifesting China's quest for world supremacy.
Interestingly, this growing Chinese influence has had a significant impact on the United States' position. It has hampered the US's fundamental strengths, including economy, technology, military, and global impact. Ironically, the US’s strategic outsourcing moves have inadvertently boosted China's economy while inflicting damage on its own industrial and infrastructure sectors.
As an attempt to widen its global influence, China leverages its immense economic power. Central to this strategy is economic security, achieved by expanding its financial power through a trifecta of intellectual property theft, unfair trade applications, and economic cheating. This tactic has significantly amped up China's share of global manufacturing exports, thus strengthening its dominance.
In contrast, this dominance is not without its side-effects, especially for the US. The increased penetration of China in the global markets has triggered a wave of job losses in the manufacturing sector and an unsettling rise in the American wealth gap. The unsettling fallout of this economic shift has led many to question the blind endorsement of free trade as it has ushered in wage stagnation along with the displacement of jobs.
Despite its robust outward appearance, China's economic growth rests upon shaky foundations, mirroring a Ponzi scheme. Characterized by excessive credit, dubious foreign investments, and an opaque economic system, China's financial profligacy hardly befits a dominant economic power. The nation employs predatory practices like counterfeiting, piracy, and illicit fishing, projecting a self-serving model of growth – one that leaves several smaller nations in a debt trap.
What's even more alarming is China's attempt to seize control over several cutting-edge technologies and industries by engaging in corporate espionage and intellectual property theft. The escalating dominance of China in the global marketplace is a looming threat to many nations, especially the US, as it undermines the principles of fair competition and economic stability.
The US no longer enjoys significant military superiority over potential adversaries, especially China. This is largely due to the absence of strategic foresight and comprehension among political and military heavyweights. The emphasis of US armed forces has been predominantly on acquiring immediate military hardware, often undermining crucial aspects such as research, development, long-term prospects, and defenses against cyber and economic warfare.
Heavily leaning on China for goods, materials, and notably vital components for military equipment, has made the US military concurrently strong and fragile. Instructional videos and computers are just an instance of the numerous Chinese-made inputs incorporated into the American military fabric. Meanwhile, China's covert non-combat warfare strategy has strengthened its cyber division and fueled its acquisition of weapons technology. Crucially, it has cleverly capitalized on American investment to augment its defense systems.
China's own missile systems, capable of annihilating US aircraft carriers pose a significant threat. The US, in contrast, has been tied down by a pact with Russia preventing development of similar missiles. Both the US Navy and Air Force have experienced a knock-on effect from Chinese technology, further reducing their effectiveness. Regrettably, US errors in sharing nuclear technology with China may inadvertently aid the People's Liberation Army in developing nuclear-powered equipment.
Unveiling China's digital might, one can't overlook 'the Great Firewall'. This robust defense system is a safeguard for China's isolated internet sphere, controlling and censoring content which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) finds threatening.
The People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Unit 6139 is strategic. This cyber warfare brigade is in incessant action, launching cyberattacks aimed at destabilizing adversary economies and political regimes.
China’s strategy is unique. Millions of its citizens serve as hackers and internet overseers, bolstering China’s virtual endeavors. Their principal targets? US companies, government entities, and political factions.
The stolen data serves a multi-fold purpose. Aside from providing an economic edge, this data is often employed in blackmail and strategical pursuits, helping to enhance China's global standing.
In The Kill Chain, Spalding sheds light on the concept of Modern Warfare 5.0, focusing on the future of 5G technology and the potential threats that come with it. An intriguing point is the possibility of China gaining control over global 5G networks, which presents grave security concerns for other nations.
A careful scrutiny of China's ambitious push to control global tech spaces serves as a major highlight. If successful, they would have the power to weaponize 5G technology and exert geopolitical influence on a massive scale. This scenario emphasizes the importance of securing the control over 5G networks.
One proposed safeguard put forth by Spalding is a transition to a wholesale model for wireless communications, with the US Government at the forefront.This plan aims to circumvent the threat posed by potential dominance over the sector by external forces, thereby ensuring the integrity of information and communication infrastructures.
Decoding China's Diplomatic Strategy
Unlocking the secrets of China's diplomacy, we see how they cleverly mix engagement, deception, and manipulation to boost their authority without the need for warfare. The idea is to play politics like a battlefield, deploying tactics of craftiness, bargaining, and bribery to accomplish their goals. They are masters in the art of influence, swaying key figureheads to not only fulfill their own interests but also serve China's agenda - a modus operandi that showcases their adeptness at political warfare.
China's Finesse in Shaping Perception
In their pursuit of global recognition, China has excelled at using propaganda and spin to style themselves as a helpful ally. Even if their diplomacy hits a brick wall, they resort to bullying, spreading misinformation, and even extortion to get what they wish. In a world where image is everything, they expertly craft their narrative to appeal as a committed partner, often hiding their true ambitions till the ink on the contract is dry.
Ensuring Allegiance in Foreign Lands
The Chinese influence extends far beyond its borders, infiltrating American universities with its Confucius Institutes aiming to mould the perspective of the student body. And within the sea of Chinese students and emigrants, they maintain a strong presence to ensure their control is feeling, seemingly leaving no stone unturned in its quest to extend its sphere of influence.
China's unwavering commitment towards scientific prowess and industry control is manifesting through its industrial strategy, Made in China 2025. This ambitious plan, set to fully materialize by 2049, stakes China's dominance in sectors like information technology, aerospace, and high-end rail transit. By controlling design and production in these areas, China stands to gain a commanding position in the global corporate circuit, and crucial geopolitical leverage.
At the heart of China's tech drive is a relentless surveillance network, literally a billion eyes fixed on every aspect of life, aided by high tech facial-recognition AI. The country also touts the world's fastest supercomputer, the most efficient hypersonic wind tunnel, and the pioneering quantum-encryption satellite communication system. Since 2010, China has held the pole position as the world's top manufacturer, with greater dominance projected by mid-century.
The Tang Energy Group case serves as a cautionary tale for foreign companies venturing into China. The leverage of US law, coupled with warfare-style business tactics, has presented formidable challenges to foreign ventures. China's firms appear adept at extending legal processes, filing counterclaims, and ingeniously utilizing the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to drain adversaries’ resources and sidestep legal repercussions.
Beyond intellectual property theft, China uses varied strategies to advance its tech cause. The Thousand Talents program is one channel used to court foreign experts under 65 with lucrative offers. Shrewdly sewing up contract deals with tech titans can however, sometimes lead these foreign companies into compromising their own national security, lured by immense profit and market share prospects.
China ingeniously leverages infrastructure projects to garner influence and shape the global order. Its hand in constructing roads, railways, power stations, and telecom systems ultimately grants it control over goods' transportation and cross-border flow.
Notice China's 'ghost cities,' eerily vacant metropolises funded by Western investors. Their purpose? To reboot China's industry, thus fortifying its standalone economy. Wedded to this goal is the lofty Belt and Road Initiative intended to tether China with 65-plus countries to disseminate its influence and revise global outlooks and values.
Yet beneath the surface, you'll find more than just infrastructure; it's about surveillance as well. With data and technology being vital elements of China's governing tactics, this approach is about crafting a rich, information-centric economy. The endpoint? Asserting dominance over competitor nations.
First and foremost, the US must focus on enforcing fair trade policies with China, holding it accountable for unfair practices. Parallelly, change starts at home – Wall Street needs to shift its focus away from China, and redirect investments towards bolstering American infrastructure, manufacturing, and R&D upgrades.
Next in line is the critical issue of data security, with 5G networks emerging as a crucial battlefield. Streamlining the structure and roles of the US military for a digital age is paramount, ensuring optimal readiness against future threats.
In the face of rampant IP theft by China, it's time to step up retaliatory measures, including tariffs, fines, and restrictions. Another potent tool at our disposal is media; outsmarting Chinese anti-Western propaganda calls for cultivating alternative informational outlets that better reflect our values.
Also on the to-do list is enhancing the vetting process for prospective Chinese immigrants to screen out potential risks. To counter China's dollar diplomacy, we should prioritize and promote meaningful long-term projects in developing nations.
Lastly, crucial steps include the establishment of a national infrastructure bank for funding significant projects and ensuring that our government bodies adopt best practices to fend off Chinese infiltration. In the same vein, fortifying US Cyber Command could give our defense system the digital teeth it needs to bite back.
Conceived in the crucible of an impending global power shift, Spalding's work implores the West, particularly America, to combat China's looming dominance through the adoption of four cardinal concepts: espousing principles, self-amplification, competitive organization, and reconstructing the global order.
Evading China's influence and safeguarding its citizens and economy becomes a matter of utmost importance for the United States. This requires distancing itself from the overbearing influence of the Asian giant.
Considerable emphasis is placed on the imperative unity and bipartisan cooperation to effectively counteract the threats posed by China, pointing towards a need for a comprehensive strategy involving governing policies, business practice alterations and allied collaboration.
Spalding strongly suggests inculcating changes in governmental regulation and business practices to limit the capital flow to China, effectively providing a circuit breaker to their further potentially destabilizing actions.
Diving into 'Stealth War': Unveiling China's Unconventional Tactics
Decoding Unrestricted Warfare
Spalding's 'Stealth War' delves deeply into China's unorthodox strategies, beginning with an interesting examination of unrestricted warfare concepts. A not-so-typical battle method, unrestricted warfare reveals a different facet of China's approach to conflict.
China's Economic Reality Unveiled
The following sections of the book debunk popular myths related to China's economy. Contrary to widespread belief, 'Stealth War' argues that China's economy has distinctive capitalistic characteristics. New perspectives view it as closer to a Ponzi scheme, operating on potentially unsustainable practices.
On Digital Battlegrounds and More
The book progression takes readers from the traditional battlefield to the digital arena, highlighting cyber warfare's significance in today's world. The complexities of military crises faced by various countries due to China's actions are also explored in detail.
Insights on Politics, Diplomacy, and Theft
Spalding doesn't stop at military tactics. The discussion extends to the intricate webs of politics and diplomacy, intellectual property thefts, and China's impressive, yet concerning, global infrastructure influences. Insightful observations surround issues of world domination, adding depth and intrigue to the narrative.
Introducing Potential Countermeasures
Lastly, 'Stealth War' provides readers with practical solutions to combat the stealth war waged by China. While exposing and exploring China's tactics, it also offers strategies for nations across the globe to respond proactively to these challenges.