Chairman John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party recently appeared on Fox News during the Reagan National Defense Forum. The discussion focused on several pressing issues related to China, including threats to U.S. security and activities in Southeast Asia.
Moolenaar expressed concerns about China's growing assertiveness both domestically and internationally. He highlighted violations of trade policies, military build-up threatening Taiwan and neighboring countries, espionage activities in the United States, and human rights abuses such as the Uyghur genocide. "The American people see that China is becoming increasingly more aggressive at home and abroad," Moolenaar stated. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong stance against these actions, citing President Reagan's principle of "peace through strength."
The state of America's defense industrial base was another topic of concern for Moolenaar. He noted that while the U.S. has a formidable military force, there has been significant wear due to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. "We have concerns about the strength of our defense industrial base [in a] prolonged war against someone like China," he said, stressing the need for rebuilding efforts to deter aggression against Taiwan and other regional allies.
Addressing China's behavior in Southeast Asia, Moolenaar described it as bullying towards countries like Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. "They're expanding their malign influence around the world," he remarked.
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