A former Trump advisor cautions that everyone is at risk from China’s ideologies.

During an appearance on Thursday in Washington, former national security adviser to the Trump administration Robert C. O’Brien stated that the challenge that the United States faces in confronting China on the global stage is “almost overwhelming” and greater than some of the worst historical crises that the country has ever encountered.

O’Brien stated, “I’m not sure America has faced a threat like Communist China in our history,” during a conversation that was held by the American Enterprise Institute, which is a think tank that gravitates towards conservatism.

“Maybe the Revolutionary War, when we fought the British who were the leading superpower in the world at the time?” he said in response. “I think that the threat that we face from China is far more serious than we faced against the Soviet Union in the Cold War.”

According to O’Brien, he is of the opinion that China’s ultimate goal is to bring the “Marxist-Leninist” ideology of the country to the rest of the globe.

“They have an ideology that they believe they can use to organise, to govern the world,” according to his statement. Every single one of us, including our children and grandchildren, is in risk as a result of this. These individuals believe that they are capable of governing the entire world based on their ideology, which makes it a threat to people all around the world.

Future US-China policy

Whether it be a second term for President Trump or a first term for the current vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, O’Brien’s views come at a time when experts are trying to determine what relationship the United States will have with China under the next presidential administration.

The director of the China Power Project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Bonny Lin, is quoted as saying in a paper that was released on Thursday morning that it is likely that the United States’ policies towards China will continue to move in the same direction regardless of who wins the election.

“U.S. policy towards the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan is likely to maintain its broad contours under a Harris or a Trump administration,” Lin stated in his article. With regard to the established international order, peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and the United States of America, the Harris and Trump teams are of the same opinion that China poses a challenge and a threat. ‘Managing’ China or ‘winning’ against China will be a primary priority for the next administration of the United States of America, as it seems expected that the heated struggle between the United States and China will continue,”

A Trump administration, on the other hand, may be different in a number of ways, including the implementation of more stringent trade policies and the imposition of more far-reaching crackdowns on Chinese influence activities in the United States, as expressed by Lin.

It is not clear, according to her, whether President Trump will continue to back Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own, or whether he will continue to cultivate some of the Indo-Pacific region ties that the Biden administration has been striving to strengthen. She also questioned whether such support would continue.

During his remarks on Thursday, O’Brien discussed each and every one of those topics extensively.

Not speaking for Trump

Beginning in September 2019 and continuing through January 2021, O’Brien was a member of the administration of former President Donald Trump, first serving as a special envoy for hostage matters and subsequently as a national security adviser.

During his visit on Thursday, which lasted for a total of ninety minutes, O’Brien made it abundantly clear that he was not speaking on behalf of the former president.

“Anyone who says they’re speaking for Donald Trump, whether it’s on personnel or policy, is not speaking for Donald Trump,” he explained to reporters. “Donald Trump is going to speak for Donald Trump.”

In any case, his remarks regarding China could offer some insight into the mentality of individuals who are likely to be a part of a second Trump administration, in the event that the former president is reelected in November.

A future administration of Donald Trump, according to O’Brien, would be focused on opposing what the former president considers to be unfair practices on the part of China, as well as signalling the economic, diplomatic, and military strength of the United States to China. Theft of intellectual property, keeping the value of the Chinese yuan artificially low, and flooding Western markets with Chinese goods that are subsidised by Beijing are some of the things that fall under this category.

O’Brien stated that President Trump has already communicated his intentions regarding the matter. For the purpose of sending a clear message that we will no longer accept the theft of intellectual property, he is going to increase tariffs on the Chinese. We are not going to bear the dumping, we are not going to bear the manipulation of the currency, and we are going to provide an incentive for American industries to return to the United States.

China’s ‘relentless’ aggression

According to O’Brien, during his time at the White House, he witnessed China’s unrelenting efforts to expand Beijing’s influence. This may be accomplished by the employment of China’s military to harass its neighbours in the Indo-Pacific area, or through the conduct of espionage and influence operations.

“Every time we fought them somewhere, whether it was espionage at a Confucianist institute that we blocked, whether it was a cyber incursion, or if it was some kind of military activity against our allies, they appeared somewhere else. This was the case regardless of whether it was a cyber intrusion or a military attack against our allies. That is to say, they are active across the entire spectrum. He stated that they are in the air, in the water, in the land, and in space. He also mentioned that they are in the sea.

Just like that, they are active in every industry. They are making an effort to wear down the free world, and they have done a fairly decent job of it so far.

AK-47s in Taiwan

When O’Brien proposed earlier this year that every male in Taiwan who is of military age be armed with an AK-47 to fend off a possible Chinese invasion, Beijing reacted angrily.

He reiterated the recommendation on Thursday, adding, “Every male who is of military age should own an AK-47 and two magazines of ammunition.” Assuring their interoperability will enable you to obtain additional ammunition from the patrols you ambush and eliminate during their invasion of your territory.”

“Strike a little fear into the hearts” of China’s leadership is the goal, he stated. “You may invade, but every time you walk down the street, every window’s going to have an AK-47 pointed out.”

During the first Trump administration, he continued, “China did not harass Taiwan the way that they’re doing it now.” “You’re not going to see the kind of strength that you get from President Trump that will keep Taiwan free,” he said, referring to a Harris government.

US alliances

O’Brien expressed the opinion that maintaining strong partnerships in the Indo-Pacific area is crucial for the United States. Strong alliances are the “good news,” he declared.

“You take the combination of the ‘Quad’ with India, Australia, the U.S. and Japan; you take the Japan-South Korea-America trilateral alliance; you take a look at AUKUS, with the U.K. and Australia and the U.S.; and the treaty alliances with Thailand and with the Philippines,” he continued.

“Those alliances scare the Chinese, because they see us operating together,” he added. Furthermore, by banding together, we can restrict the Chinese and fight back. They stand to gain the greatest advantage when they sow division between us.

Return to nuclear competition

According to O’Brien, China’s nuclear capabilities are rapidly expanding, and in addition to the threat posed by Russia, the United States is facing a growing need to revive its nuclear “triad”—the ability to launch missiles from land, sea, and air.

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“You have the Russians with 1,250 or 1,500 strategic weapons, so we’re going to be in serious difficulty if we don’t move quickly to both modernise our triad and extend our capabilities. They have roughly 2,500 more tactical nukes at their disposal. It’s also certain that the Chinese will be aiming 1,500 strategic weapons and an unknown number of tactical weapons at us.

“That’s going to be a 2- or 3-to-1 overmatch on us, and that’s not a recipe for deterrence,” he explained.

“We’ve got to get back in the nuclear game,” he added. We believed that day was over and we were passed that, so it’s awful. However, our opponents have determined that they will continue to play it. Sure, we don’t want to play that game, would be a great thing to say. However, we require an efficient deterrent.”