Amid a recent flurry of U.S.-China diplomacy, a leading congressional voice on China policy is warning against concessions to Beijing, saying they simply serve to encourage even more aggressive behavior. Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, recently spoke with VOA’s Mandarin Service about the topics he believes should be addressed in meetings this week between the Biden administration and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Gallagher emphasized the need for the administration to focus on cross-strait deterrence, as Chinese President Xi Jinping is reportedly preparing his country for a war over Taiwan. He urged the U.S. to send a strong message that increasing aggression against Taiwan will not be tolerated and that the U.S. will help Taiwan defend itself. Additionally, Gallagher called for the Chinese Communist Party to take more aggressive action in cracking down on the production of fentanyl precursors, as fentanyl is flooding across the southern U.S. border and killing tens of thousands of Americans. Lastly, Gallagher urged the administration not to deprioritize the issue of human rights, citing the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang, economic coercion around the world, and suppression of Hong Kongers.
When asked if the increased high-level official communications between the U.S. and China signals a smoother and more pragmatic path for U.S.-China relations, Gallagher expressed concern that the policy of engagement, which he has referred to as “zombie engagement,” may have the opposite effect. He argued that the more the U.S. rushes or bends over backwards to sit down at a table with CCP members, the more aggressive the CCP becomes, and the U.S. delays critical defensive action.
Gallagher noted that the current conflict in Israel and ongoing war in Ukraine should be a wake-up call to the West, as an axis of authoritarian powers is arrayed against the interests of the U.S. and its allies. He believes this should be an opportunity for the U.S. to revitalize and rebuild its defense industrial base, and to surge hard power to the Pacific before it’s too late.
In conclusion, it is clear that the U.S. must take a strong stance against the CCP’s aggression in order to protect its own interests and those of its allies. Gallagher’s warnings should be taken seriously, as the U.S. must act now in order to prevent a conflict between the two countries. The Biden administration must make it clear that the CCP’s aggression will not be tolerated and that the U.S. will do whatever is necessary to defend its own interests in the Indo-Pacific.
