CWP alum testifies to Congress 'Hearing on Chinese Threats and U.S. National Security'

Former military and national intelligence officials testified before a House Homeland Security subcommittee on the increased threats posed to America by the Chinese government. They discussed efforts by China to collect intelligence in the U.S. including the spy balloon, purchasing land and businesses next to sensitive military sites, and using a fake police station in New York to target pro-democracy activists of Chinese descent. Other topics included modernizing the Air Force, building military resiliency, countering Chinese influence in Latin America, leveraging the U.S. commercial space program, intellectual property theft, and fentanyl. During the hearing, members stressed that they have no problem with the Chinese people but with the government itself--rebuking any actions at home or abroad of anti-Chinese and anti-Asian hate.

MARCH 9, 2023 "Hearing on Chinese Threats and U.S. National Security" 

Tyler Jost : CHAIRMAN, RANKING MEMBER ESTABLISHED HIM AS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY TODAY. IT IS AN HONOR TO BE WITH YOU. I TESTIMONY IS GIVEN AS A SCHOLAR OF CHINESE FOREIGN POLICY AND I EMPHASIZE THIS FOR TWO REASONS. MY ROLE IN ACADEMIA IS ONE OF THE RESEARCHERS, NOT ADMINISTER. MY TESTIMONY IS NOT ON BEHALF OF MORE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH MY EMPLOYER AND THE SECOND IS A FORMER INTELLIGENCE OFFICER IN SOME OF THE MOST DETAILED REPORTING ON THE TOPICS OF HOMELAND SECURITY REMAINS CLASSIFIED. THE BEST POSITION TO OFFER PERTAINING TO THIS CONCLUSION CAN BE DRAWN BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE RESEARCH AND REMARKS WILL FOCUS ON TWO AREAS, THE BROADER STRATEGIC CONTEXT THROUGH WHICH CHINA OVERSEES INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION AND INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS TO BE VIEWED. WITH THE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE RESEARCH CAN TELL US ABOUT THE SCOPE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THOSE CAMPAIGNS. BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA, A DEFINING INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF THE CENTURY AND AT THE CENTER OF THIS PROBLEM FIRST TWO ISSUES MOST DIVIDE WASHINGTON AND BEIJING AND TAIWAN AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE OTHER SIDE POSES AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO THE ABILITY OF DOMESTIC REGIME. WHILE IT IS IMPORTANT, THE SERIOUS THREATS TO THE HOME AND POSED BY CHINA, SHOULD NOT DISTRACT FROM THE ISSUES LIKELY TO DEFINE THE FUTURE OF THE GLOBAL COMPETITION AT THE. THESE ACTIVITIES EMERGE FROM THIS CONTEMPORARY STRATEGIC CONCEPT AND DIVIDED INTO TWO CATEGORIES. THE FIRST FOCUSES ON CHINA'S INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION WHICH IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN THE REASON IN WHICH A CHINESE HIGH-ALTITUDE BALLOON FOR AMERICAN AIRSPACE, CHINA IS WILLING TO ASSUME RISK TOGETHER DATA AGAINST AMERICAN TARGETS. IN PARALLEL, CHINA ENGAGES IN OPERATION TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION TO FOREIGN AUDIENCES AUDIENCES. THE BULK OF THE ACTIVITIES ARE AIMED AT SHAPING GLOBAL PUBLIC OPINION AND IN SIMPLEST TERMS, CHINA PRESENTS CITIZENS WITH INFORMATION WITHOUT THAT IT WILL SHAPE THE TARGET AND PERHAPS BEHAVIOR. THESE EFFORTS TO SHAPE BORN PUBLIC OPINION THROUGH PARTY PROPAGANDA ARE REAL AND IT IS BROUGHT. THERE ARE A FEW STUDIES THAT APPLY VALIDATED RESEARCH METHOD FOR ESTIMATED EFFECTS AND EXPOSURE TO SUCH MESSAGES ON FOREIGN AUDIENCES. THE GLOBAL PUBLIC OPINION SHOULD PROVIDE SOME COMFORT. IF ONE JUDGES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHINA'S PUBLIC CAMPAIGN, THEY SOLELY ON CHINA'S APPROVAL RATING, THE EFFORT HAS AT LEAST TODAY, A FAILURE. FINALLY, WHAT EVIDENCE WE DO HAVE SUGGESTS SEVERAL REASONS WHY THE OPERATIONS MIGHT PROVE TO BE LESS EFFECTIVE. BY EMPHASIZING GAPS IN PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE DISMISS POTENTIAL THREATS CHINA POSES TO THE U.S. HOMELAND, THE FACT THAT CHINA DEMONSTRATED INTENT TO ENGAGE IN INTELLIGENCE CORRUPTION AND EFFORTS TO SHAPE PUBLIC OPINIONS, COUPLED WITH COMPETITIVE NATURE OF THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP PROBABLY CALLS FOR SERIOUS ATTENTION. RATHER, MY HOPE IS EMPHASIZING WHAT WE DO OR DO NOT KNOW IS ELIMINATING POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS DETAILED IN MY WRITTEN TESTIMONY. ALALI BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE. U.S. GOVERNMENT SHOULD DEVOTE RESOURCES FOR PUBLICLY AVAILABLE RESEARCH BUILD GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE REGARDING THIS ABROAD. SECOND, U.S. GOVERNMENT SHOULD USE DIPLOMAT CHANNELS TO REESTABLISH OPPORTUNITY FOR AMERICAN RESEARCHERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE POLITICAL SYSTEM AND IN WAYS THEY FEEL PROTECTED FROM POTENTIAL EXPLICATION AND DETAINMENT OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. THIRD, U.S. GOVERNMENT SHEETS TO BETTER DISCLOSE AND UNDERSTAND THE THREATS CHINA POSES TO HOMELAND SECURITY, SPECIFICALLY IS TO PROVIDE CITIZENS WITH MORE DATA ABOUT THE DIFFERENT RISKS AMERICAN CITIZENS ASSUME WHEN THEY USE FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS.

Tyler Jost’s research focuses on national security decision-making, bureaucratic politics, and Chinese foreign policy. His current book project examines domestic institutions designed to decide and coordinate national security policy, such as the U.S. National Security Council. He completed his doctoral degree in the Department of Government at Harvard University and held postdoctoral fellowships in the International Security Program at the Kennedy School of Government, as well as in the China and the World Program at Columbia University. He completed his undergraduate studies at West Point and served as a military officer with assignments to Afghanistan, U.S. Cyber Command, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Photo Credit: https://www.c-span.org/video/?526602-1/hearing-chinese-threats-us-national-security