China Remains America’s ‘Unparalleled Priority’ Amid Beijing’s Increasing Aggression: DNI Haines
Avril Haines, the Director of National Intelligence told the Senate March 8th that the Chinese Communist Party was the U.S. intelligence agency’s. “unparalleled priority” As Beijing faces increasing criticism for its aggressive behavior towards Taiwan and its relations with Russia,
“The CCP represents both the leading and most consequential threat to U.S. national security and leadership globally in its intelligence-specific ambitions and capabilities, making it for us our most serious and consequential intelligence rival,” Haines said.
Haines spoke at Wednesday’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about worldwide threats. The agency also released an unclassified edition of its annual threat assessment reports (pdf).
Expanding at US Expense
Haines cautioned that China’s aggression, especially toward Taiwan, and its Western allies is increasing as the communist regime seeks its dominance on the global stage.
“[China], which is increasingly challenging the United States, economically, technologically, politically and militarily around the world, remains our unparalleled priority,” Haines testified in her opening statement.
But, she cautioned that the CCP was still looking to increase its influence. “increasingly convinced that they can only do so at the expense of U.S. power and influence and by using coordinated whole-of-government tools to demonstrate strength and compel neighbors to acquiesce to its preferences.” She mentioned China’s territorial disputes with countries like India and Japan as well as China’s continued aggression toward Taiwan, an island that the CCP considers its own.
Haines listed many of China’s key policy objectives: continued expansion and nuclear capability, counter-space weapon research to undermine the U.S. upper atmosphere control, and the pursuit of other goals that aim to dethrone the United States at the top of world affairs.
Xi Jinping is a Chinese leader whose primary goal in foreign policy was “to reshape global governance in line with its preferences and governance standards that support its monopoly of power within China,” She said.
Mark Warner (D. Virginia), the Chairman of the Committee, is one of the Senate’s most moderate Democrats. In his opening statements hearing, Warner warned against Chinese ascendancy. The CCP has recently reached the point of being a “superpower”. “near-peer competitor with the United States.”
Xi Takes a Shot at US
Haines claimed that Xi, the Chinese government, and recently, Xi have been more aggressive. He cited the comments made by the Chinese leader at the National People’s Congress opening earlier in the week.
Xi’s comments on March 6, while sitting at the National People’s Congress was taking place, are notable in that he pointed out the United States as the cause of China’s problems. Xi avoids making direct reference to the United States in these instances.
“Western countries—led by the U.S.—have implemented all-round containment, encirclement and suppression against us, bringing unprecedentedly severe challenges to our country’s development,” According to a report from state media outlet Xinhua, Xi stated that.
Haines stated that this speech was cause for concern, stating it showed China’s loss of faith in reaching a diplomatic settlement with the United States.
“Xi’s speech this week was the most public indirect criticism that we’ve seen from him to date and probably reflects growing pessimism in Beijing about China’s relationship with the United States, as well as Xi’s growing worries about the trajectory of China’s domestic economic development and indigenous technology, innovation challenges that he now blames on the United States.”
Haines claimed that Xi had been trying to make Washington’s rising tensions seem like the fault of Washington, rather than the CCP.
China Wants to Keep Escalation at a Minimum
Haines reported that intelligence officers also believed Beijing did not want to alienate the United States. This is despite the fact that the country has seen its economic growth plateau.
She said that intelligence officials believe China will have difficulty igniting growth in the future.
China, in particular, is experiencing problems continuing its economic growth “because China’s era of rapid catch-up growth is ending and structural issues such as dead demographics, inequality, overreliance on investment, and suppressed consumption remain,” According to Haines.
The CCP believes that, regardless of China’s bravado over an American military strike that destroyed an espionage ball over the United States continental, it will continue to believe this, she said. “it benefits most by preventing a spiraling of tensions and by preserving stability in its relationship with the United States.”
The United States are particularly concerned that China might try to use the chaos caused by the Russo-Ukrainian War in order to achieve its long-held goal of taking control of Taiwan. Intelligence officials are also concerned that China could continue making overtures to Russia. This alliance would be disastrous for U.S. interest if it comes to fruition.
China’s Congress Responds
Recent events have seen both Congressional members from each party take a stronger stance regarding the CCP.
In February, both chambers voted unanimously in favor of a resolution condemning the CCP for the territorial violation, a rare show of concord in an otherwise divided Congress.
This Senate hearing took place as the House opened an inquiry into the source of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the FBI director, and the Department of Energy have concluded in recent weeks that this was indeed the case. “likely” A lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology caused the Pandemic.
Warner used the occasion to refer to the hearing in the lower chamber and offered his support.
“Let’s be clear, despite China’s denials, it is entirely fair for us to ask whether a virus that has killed at least 6.8 million people so far might have been accidentally released from a lab,” Warner, Warner
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