Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has issued a stark warning to China in his testimony to the U.S. Congress special committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In a striking testimony before Congress on Tuesday, Panetta and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sounded the alarm on China's deepening ties with nations adversarial to the United States. They underscored the urgency for the U.S. to bolster support for Taiwan in the face of escalating Chinese aggression.
Pompeo and Panetta both stressed the importance of a unified stance among the United States and its allies against these challenges, signaling a critical juncture for U.S. foreign policy as authoritarian actors such as China, Russia, and Iran have closely coordinated their strategies.
On Tuesday, Pompeo and Panetta testified on Chinese foreign policy in front of the House Select Committee on CCP. The Select Committee on CCP is a bipartisan committee on the hill headed by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL).
Highlighting the interconnected nature of global security dynamics, Panetta drew parallels between U.S. solidarity with Ukraine against Russian aggression and the imperative to deter China from contemplating an invasion of Taiwan.
"Our ability to stand together against Putin and provide support to the Ukrainian warfighters sends a critical message to autocrats considering similar incursions: the United States will stand by its allies and partners; we will make you pay," Panetta said. He emphasized the critical role of continued support for Ukraine in ensuring Chinese leadership rethinks any aggressive moves toward Taiwan.
The narrative of a consolidating axis of authoritarian regimes was further detailed by Rep. Gallagher, who noted the collaboration among China, Russia, and North Korea in supplying weapons, including drones, to Iranian-backed groups such as Hamas. Gallagher described the evolving geopolitical landscape as an emerging axis led by the Chinese Communist Party, comprising figures like Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Ayatollah Khamenei, Kim Jong Un, and entities like Hamas.
Rep. Krishnamoorthi underscored the necessity for the U.S. and its allies to enhance defensive capabilities in response to these threats. "Rather than turning their swords into plowshares as they've integrated with the world economy, the CCP and Putin's Russia have bought more swords," Krishnamoorthi stated, advocating for a bolstered collective defense to protect democratic institutions worldwide.
Gallagher, chairing the committee, highlighted China's significant military expansion, labeling it one of the largest since World War II. He pointed out China's growing alliances with Russia, Iran and North Korea as a catalyst for escalating global tensions.
Pompeo, in his written testimony, branded China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela as a "new axis of evil," pushing a perilous model onto the global stage. "China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela represent a new axis of evil regimes that is pushing a dangerous model for the world," Pompeo said.
He criticized China's opportunistic stance amid conflicts, notably its refusal to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine or Hamas' assaults on Israel while promoting alternative global orders through entities like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS grouping. "China is exploiting these conflicts to advance its narrative of Western decline... At the same time, it is promoting an alternative world order," Pompeo elaborated.
Reflecting on the diplomatic and military challenges faced by the United States, Pompeo expressed regret over the strategies employed to deter Russian aggression. "I'm glad that Europeans stood up, but we should remember that we did not conduct American foreign policy with the diplomatic excellence and the military power to actually convince Putin not to invade Ukraine," Pompeo remarked, emphasizing the broader implications of these interconnected global theaters.
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About the writer
Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
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