In a spate of interviews and an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe warned of the rise of China as America’s preeminent threat. Most, but not all, outlets focused on his remarks on China.
Summary
Current Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe is warning the incoming Biden Administration of the long-term danger China poses to the United States, calling China America’s “greatest adversary.”
- According to Ratcliffe, the Chinese are stealing half a trillion dollars’ worth of intellectual property every year from the United States.
- The Office of the DNI has shifted financial resources “to increase the focus on China.”
- Ratcliffe’s remarks come as the Trump Administration ratchets up sanctions and penalties on the Chinese Communist regime, including travel restrictions for leading Chinese officials, and import bans on goods using forced labor of Muslim citizens detained by the Chinese government.
- Ratcliffe told Axios that China is a more ominous threat than the Soviet Union because of China’s ambitions to compete in the economic and technology spheres, not just militarily.
- China was also accused of using human testing to develop military personnel with “biologically enhanced capabilities.”
- Members of Congress have been targeted by China as well, attempting to influence elected officials at a rate “six times the frequency of Russia and 12 times the frequency of Iran.”
- Several weeks before the November 3rd elections in the United States, Ratcliffe was one of a handful of American intelligence and law enforcement officials warning China, Russia, and Iran were working to influence the election.
- A spokesperson for the Chinese government decried what she called a “deep-rooted Cold War mentality” and accused the United States of “politically oppressing China.”
- In its reporting, CNN called it “the latest warning” from Trump Administration officials on China, while also suggesting the incoming Biden Administration has heeded the warnings but will take a different approach on China.
- The Guardian called Ratcliffe a “Trump loyalist” and characterized his comments as a “broadside against China” in an attempt to “cement [Trump’s] tough-on-China legacy.”
- Salon ignored the day’s news of Ratcliffe’s warning on China, and instead reported on his correspondence with Senator Ron Wyden regarding internet browsing privacy with respect to the PATRIOT Act.
- Fox News framed Ratcliffe’s comments as him “urging Biden to ‘be honest’ about China” while in separate reporting said Ratcliffe believes more documents involving the disproven Russia-collusion theory investigation should be declassified and DOJ Special Counsel John Durham should continue to its completion.
- The New York Post led its story on Ratcliffe’s remarks with emphasis on Chinese attempts to influence U.S. politicians, using an example of persuading American laborers in Chinese-company-owned facilities to “turn against lawmakers.”
- In a short article, Breitbart similarly highlighted Chinese efforts to sway American lawmakers “using blackmail, bribery, and covert operations.”
- Without mentioning Ratcliffe, economist Stephen Moore wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Examiner pushing for the International Trade Council to take aggressive measures against Chinese theft of American intellectual property.
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© Dallas Gerber, 2020
