China is strong, but brittle: Why US leadership and unity matters more than ever

I have just returned from China, where I was a Republican in the first home delegation visited since 2019.

Our two-party group met with the leading Li Qiang and senior officials to put pressure on military-military communication, trade, nuclear proliferation and Fentanyl dialogue.

From the moment I landed, the atmosphere carried the significant repercussions of the Cold War. Security, suspicion, ideological stiffness – all of them seemed to be a return to the Soviet Union of the 1980s.

Hegseth provides a harsh warning to China during the first meeting after Xi’s military parade.

However, unlike the stagnant Soviet Union of the 1980s, China is still rising. History teaches that the risk of conflict increases when a growing power collides with a established force. Former Harvard professor Graham Allison calls it “Thucydides trap – – referring to the military conflict of the Chronic Greek historian between the settled Sparta and the rising Athens. Sparta won, but at destructive cost.

Can America stay away from war with China while defending US interests and values? I was convinced that we could do after my visit, but only if we act with clarity, power and unity.

Five insight into Beijing and regional partners emerged from the changes in men.

First, the increasing dialogue is not tolerance; is insured against miscalculation. The last House delegation visited China six years ago. This gap should never be again. Congress members should continue to visit Taiwan, but regularly return to Beijing. In order to prevent an incident in the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea, high -level military aid lines must be re -established.

Second, China is strong but fragile. Hyper-reinforcement markets and state speed ideas convert to fast products. China operates six of the ten largest ports in the world and spends approximately 3% of GDP on basic research, and universities produce two million root licenses per year. It has been the size of China’s nuclear arsenal since 2020.

However, the same single -party control, which can rapidly move resources, expands a property industry built more than a whip with zero -holding, and to the total estimated debts of over 300% of GDP. A population that peaked in 2023 is already shrinking. Abroad, “Wolf-Warrior” reads the diplomacy as a bullying, and China’s Russia, Iran and N. most importantly, the Chinese Communist Party shows the insecurity of the need to surveillance of Orwellian’s citizens and the need to brutally inform the expression by the opposition and religious minorities.

Third, we must strengthen regional partnerships. The real advantage of America is not only the aircraft carrier, but allies who choose to stand with us. United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines and India’s United GDP exceeds $ 40 trillion and represents more than two billion people. None of these nations want to live under the thumb of Beijing. Creating an alliance network is our most powerful deterrent in Asia.

Fourth, follow the areas that are the interests of mutual US-China-but with clear clarity. Every year, approximately 100,000 Americans die of excessive doses and many chemical pioneers from China. China has its own historical and current problems with drugs. If Beijing is serious about a more stable relationship, this is a Turnusol test: act decisively against pioneering exports. Nuclear proliferation is another area that China has cooperated in the past and should be again. Southeast Asian Centers benefit from Chinese and American families. Common progress in these areas can create trust that leads to understanding.

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Fifth, renew the American power at home. Today we are leading China, but it will be dependent on correcting the self -regulatory regulatory and governance problems of America at home to a large extent in the coming years, such as artificial intelligence, nuclear energy and drone war capabilities. This means to cut the bureaucracy in the endless case that delayed critical infrastructure for decades and corrects our military supply cycle. Most importantly, America’s growing national debt crisis should be seen with the national security lens.

The best way to avoid war with China is our allies, our economy and our determination – these aggression actions cannot be renewed and therefore becomes unnecessary.

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This is not about siege or suppression. It is about protecting freedom, forcing and maintaining peace. During the Cold War, America carried the day a combination of power, alliances and trust in our values. We are faced with a difficult peace that we need to work with with global partners in order to direct the rising ambitions to peaceful conclusions, not a cold war with China.

Beijing future congress delegations can be large and frequent.