Gary Roughead
Being tough on China is the topic that has bridged our partisan divide in recent years, generating an environment where each side claimed to be tougher. In confirmation hearings, President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees voiced their intent to take countering China to a new level. Secretary of State Marco Rubio opined that, without changing course, “In less than ten years, virtually everything that matters to us in life will depend on whether China will allow us to have it or not.”
Reliance on Chinese manufacturing is staggering, and it’s not just the United States that is dependent on the entangled web of Chinese manufacturing and logistic reach. China has become a seemingly indispensable link in global supply chains. COVID-19 was a case in point and a wake-up call as Chinese manufacturers were able to surge production of medical supplies to meet demand.
As sobering as medical supply chain shortcomings were, a potentially crippling entanglement with China is that of our defense and homeland security needs. If that dependence remains, our national security is at risk.
In early January, the Department of Defense added dozens of Chinese companies to its list of companies with ties to the Chinese military. The list, from video game makers to battery manufacturers, suggests the Pentagon has cast a wide net. Under the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, the Defense Department is banned from doing business with these companies starting in June 2026.
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