- The warning from the head of America's
National Intelligence was unprecedented,
as it was clear and unequivocal.
China, and its communist government,
pose the greatest threat to democracy,
and the free world, since World War II.
(feet marching)
John Ratcliffe, Directorof National Intelligence,
wrote in a recent "WallStreet Journal" editorial
that China is America's numberone national security threat.
And that Beijing intends todominate the rest of the planet,
economically, militarily,and technologically.
Michael O'Hanlon is withBrookings Institute.
- It is the way a great power,
with a non-democratic government,
chooses to seek to extendits influence worldwide.
- [George] Radcliffeaccuses China of deploying
what he calls a, "Rob,replicate, and replace approach,"
in its ambitions to dominate the world.
- It's been well known for decades,
that China tries to copy theindustry of other countries,
and then takes it to scale,makes it more efficient,
and largely operates,sort of built its way up,
through the global economicranks with that approach.
- [George] China's foreign ministry
dismisses Radcliffe's claims,while accusing Washington
of unnecessary playing the China threat.
(speaking in a foreign language)
- [Interpreter] The relevant article,
with a sensational title,
does not present anysolid evidence at all.
It offered nothing new, butrepeating the lies and rumors
to smear China.
- [George] "CBN News" has documented
China's rise for more than two decades.
Fast forward to 2020, as weexamine how China's president,
Xi Jinping, has been massively overhauling
the country's military, economy,and political influence,
as part of his great rejuvenation project.
- Which, to put it intosort of Trumpian terms,
means to make China great again.
- Tom Miller documents China's rise
in the book "China's Asian Dream:
Empire Building Along the New Silk Road."
Miller says since taking the reins,
Xi has been on a trajectoryof preparing China
to be the world's dominant power.
- And honestly, Jinping, you know,
China has been very, very deliberately
trying to realize its kind of ambition
to become the global superpower.
- [George] Chinesescholars say it's also part
of Xi's deep belief that his country
has a divine right to rule the world.
- The mandate of Tianming isfrom China's Imperial past,
where Chinese emperors believed
that they not only had the right,
but they were compelled byheaven, to rule the world.
And this is the notion ofTian Xia, or all under heaven.
(missiles blasting)
- [George] One way is by military force.
As commander-in-chief of theworld's largest fighting force,
Xi has remade China's People'sLiberation Army, or PLA,
into a military rapidly closing the gap
on U.S. firepower.
The Pentagon revealing for the first time
that China now has theworld's largest navy,
and plans to double itsnuclear warhead arsenal
in this decade, whichincludes ballistic missiles
that can reach the United States.
- Is likely that China will seek to build
a military that is equal to,
or in some cases superiorto, U.S. military,
or the military of any other great power
that China perceivesas a potential threat.
- O'Hanlon says China's capabilities
in emerging technologies,such as robotics,
artificial intelligence, andnext generation technology
and telecommunications, nowrival that of the United States.
- Oh if we used to be aheadof China by half a lap,
on the proverbial track,
now we're ahead by maybe a few strides.
And China is maybe even closingthe gap further, as we go.
- Ratcliffe insists thatresisting China's ambitions
of becoming an economic, military,
and technological superpower,
will be the challenge of our generation,
and warns that America should prepare
for an open-ended period ofconfrontation with Beijing.
George Thomas, "CBN News."
