U.S. official says Cold War pales in comparison to challenges China presents

A congressional panel held Wednesday revealed the U.S. military is being outpaced by China when it comes to being prepared for war.

U.S. Rep. and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, questioned Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on how the U.S. is strengthening its trilateral partnership with the United Kingdom and Australia [AUKUS], to counter growing tension with China.

Campbell told the committee that Washington needed to speed up U.S. naval shipbuilding and the capacity of the U.S. defense manufacturing base, while maintaining bipartisan focus on China.

“Frankly, the Cold War pales in comparison to the multifaceted challenges that China presents. It’s not just the military challenges. It’s across the board. It’s in the Global South. It is in technology,” Campbell said.

McCaul said the alliance between the U.S., the U.K., and Australia involves a strong commitment to each other’s defense – noting this is something that would deeply concern Chinese President Xi Jingping and “probably is the one that keeps him up at night.”

“China could be its own worst enemy with its belligerence against the Philippines … we certainly felt the island nations as they feel more threatened by China – their perception of China changes and I think Australia is in that category as well, which is why AUKUS is so important,” MCall said.

Despite legislation being passed intended to expedite the transfer of technology to key allies, McCall criticized the slow pace that continues to present a significant barrier, and recommended adjustments be made to build stronger partnerships with the U.K., and Australia.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle urged Campbell to address these issues.

U.S. Rep Gabe Amo, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said there needs to be a “smooth and orderly process” to transfer defense articles between the tri-nation alliance to effectively deter security threats and maintain security.

Amo noted that Congress had previously created exemptions to International Traffic and Arms Regulations – or ITAR, to allow for easier transfer of information and weapons, but added there are concerns the ITAR rule proposed by the State Department in August, excludes critical technologies that AUKUS needs.

This includes technologies like engineering and the capabilities of the Virginia class submarine is essential to fulfilling the promise of AUKUS.

Amo asked Campbell what the State Department is doing to ensure these barriers are removed to allow AUKUS to be effective, while still protecting sensitive technology. In response, Campbell said removing restrictions and getting strong assurances secrets will be maintained, was the direction the State Department was going to take.

“First of all we have to do everything possible to remove as many restrictions as possible on any kind of military engagement with Great Britain and Australia. So that is the goal. That’s the direction that we’re going to have to move towards. It will take some time. The natural proclivity of many elements of our national security bureaucracy are to protect those secrets. That’s understandable, but we’ve got to be clear that we’re going to work with the Australians and the British. They have taken a number of steps to give us more assurance about their ability to protect those secrets. I will say that I think more needs to be done in terms of certain kinds of assurances,” Campbell said.

As we celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the AUKUS security pact, we must recognize its role in maintaining security in the Indo-Pacific and strengthening our economy in RI.

Today, I asked @DeputySecState how we can support our allies through AUKUS defense production. pic.twitter.com/eHooRVno8X

— Congressman Gabe Amo (@RepGabeAmo) September 18, 2024

The discussion comes as China has increased its aggression in recent months, with tensions growing between the U.S. and China. Disputes over territory in South China Sea between China and U.S. ally the Philippines is further compounding the situation, while China continues to plant spies and spy bases close to U.S. military bases to gain sensitive intelligence.

China’s U.S. ambassador Xie Feng recently issued a warning to the U.S. over what it says is the interference with China;s sovereignty, especially when it concerns Taiwan. Feng said that Taiwan is a “red line” that must not be crossed.

During the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Professor Wu Xinbo from Fudan University in Shanghai, said the U.S. Congress is a liability to China-U.S. relations.

“Today, people think Congress is the most vocal and hostile voice against China in the United States. They are not only passing a lot of bills against China which come into law later on, but also, they are poisoning the atmosphere for China-U.S. relations. And also, it’s fair to say sometimes they even exert pressure on the executive branch, not along the Biden decision to engage with China, not to stabilize the relation with China. So, in that sense, Congress today is very much a liability to a good China-U.S. relationship,” Wu said.

At the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Prof. Wu Xinbo from Fudan Univ. said the U.S. Congress has become very much a liability to China-U.S. relations.#Beijing #XiangshanForum pic.twitter.com/AJX2uhekxk

— Seattle Smith (@smith_seattle1) September 14, 2024

However, the flurry of legislation from lawmakers regarding China comes after a series of Chinese nationals have been ousted as spies, with some being planted inside important offices, like the office of the governor of New York. Other more stealthy methods employed by the Chinese includes the use of social media to impersonate American voters to spread divisive narratives, so the “China week” legislation by lawmakers was not unfounded.