The Far East Meets the Middle: Examining China’s Growing Influence in the Middle East

Red Shadows: Unveiling China's Coercive Campaign for Influence in the United States

Thank you to our friends at the Heritage Foundation for co-hosting this live conversation on the CCP's growing influence operations inside the United States! Guests: Bryan Burack | The Heritage Foundation Brian Cavanaugh | American Global Strategies Jacqueline Deal | Long Term Strategy Group Michele Exner | Parents Defending Education Host: Carrie Filipetti | The Vandenberg Coalition The rise of China isn’t just a foreign concern. Over the last few years, there have been multiple incidents of Chinese attacks against our homeland, from the 2023 spy balloon, to inciting the fentanyl crisis, to influencing our students and children in schools and online. What are the CCP’s political, economic, and diplomatic aims against the United States? How does Chinese soft power influence American culture, education, and media? How is U.S. national security compromised by China’s influence operations on America's homeland? Addressing these questions requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving experts from various domains in the complex U.S.-Chinese relationship. Amid a period of heightened U.S.-Chinese relations, speakers will dissect the litany of China’s influence operations in the United States and the importance of defending American national security at a time of China’s malign campaign for global dominance. In this series, the Vandenberg Coalition shifts the focus beyond the Indo-Pacific and into various regions around the world where the Chinese Communist Party continues to threaten American interests. Each episode in the series discusses China’s growing influence in a given region, how it measures against American influence, how to define our relationship with the region in light of competing priorities, and what America can and should be doing to better protect and advance our national interests.

Beyond the Great Wall: China's Ambitions in the Multilateral System

In this installment of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World,” leading experts discuss China’s growing influence in multilateral organizations. Executive Director of The Vandenberg Coalition Carrie Filipetti speaks with former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues and the U.S. Representative at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women  Kelley Currie [https://vandenbergcoalition.org/experts/ambassador-kelley-eckels-currie/] and former Chief of Staff to U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Nikki R. Haley Morgan Viña, [https://vandenbergcoalition.org/experts/morgan-vina/] who outline ways for the United States to effectively counter the CCP while strengthening our leadership role on the global stage.   In this series, the Vandenberg Coalition shifts the focus beyond the Indo-Pacific and into various regions around the world where the Chinese Communist Party continues to threaten American interests. Each episode in the series discusses China’s growing influence in a given region, how it measures against American influence, how to define our relationship with the region in light of competing priorities, and what America can and should be doing to better protect and advance our national interests.   00:00:00 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti  00:01:31 Mechanisms for China’s engagement at the United Nations  00:03:33 CCP’s objectives in the international system   00:09:37 China on the offense: successes at the United Nations  00:18:10 Discrepancy in UN funding contributions between the U.S. and China   00:20:23 China’s takeover of the World Health Organization  00:26:18 Need for strategic reform of the American role in the United Nations  00:34:37 Criticism of the UN’s inherent value in promoting American interests  00:39:44 U.S.-China competition in the UN Human Rights Council  00:49:28 China’s alliance-building efforts to supplant U.S.-led multilateral organizations  00:51:54 Biden’s inability to leverage American power in international institutions   00:56:29 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

The Far East Meets the Middle: Examining China’s Growing Influence in the Middle East

In this installment of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World,” leading experts discuss China’s growing influence in the Middle East. Vandenberg Coalition Executive Director Carrie Filipetti speaks with Associate Professor of National Security Strategy at the National War College Dr. Dawn Murphy, Managing Director and Lane-Swig Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy Michael Singh, and Craig Singleton, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies to discuss China’s growing influence in the Middle East. In this series, the Vandenberg Coalition shifts the focus beyond the Indo-Pacific and into various regions around the world where the Chinese Communist Party continues to threaten American interests. Each episode in the series discusses China’s growing influence in a given region, how it measures against American influence, how to define our relationship with the region in light of competing priorities, and what America can and should be doing to better protect and advance our national interests. 00:00:00 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti 00:01:36 China’s response to Hamas’ attacks & the ensuing war in Gaza 00:05:59 China’s strategic loss of Israel after October 7th 00:08:17 CCP objectives for regional influence & supplanting U.S. role in the Middle East 00:15:20 Future of the Israeli-China relationship 00:20:18 Discrepancy between internal & external CCP statements 00:23:55 America’s evolving strategic role in the Middle East 00:28:20 China’s perspective on the Abraham Accords & eroding leverage over Iran 00:36:24 Tripartite dynamic between Russia, China, & Iran 00:45:10 CCP amplification of antisemitism via TikTok 00:50:15 False binary between the United States & China 00:55:54 U.S. Chinese competition in the Middle East 01:00:55 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

Reaching for the Stars: China's Advancement in the Space Race

Over the last few years, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has increased its investment in outer space, a domain historically dominated by the United States. China’s space research and exploration ambitions threaten to undermine American interests in orbit and pose national security concerns for the United States on the ground. The Vandenberg Coalition welcomes Dean Cheng, [https://www.usip.org/people/dean-cheng] Senior Advisor to the China Program at the United States Institute of Peace and Kari Bingen, [https://vandenbergcoalition.org/experts/kari-bingen/] former U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, to examine this threat and discuss ways for the United States to effectively counter the CCP in outer space.  00:00:00 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti  00:01:15 Impact of space on American life   00:07:16 China’s mechanisms to supplant U.S. dominance in space   00:11:02 Implications of China’s development of counter-space capabilities   00:14:35 Artificial intelligence & communications in space   00:18:22 Civil-military fusion in China vs. the U.S. government’s commercial reliance   00:25:15 Spectrum of American space defense capabilities   00:27:09 Pathways for space classification, control, & cooperation    00:30:50 Areas of American dominance & underdeveloped technologies in space   00:38:46 Coordination between space companies, the U.S. government, & allied nations  00:43:32 Policymakers’ complex protective mechanisms over private companies   00:51:00  Biden’s 2024 space budget request increase  00:52:58 Consequences of the limited legal architecture governing space   00:57:01 Space as a strategic dimension of U.S.-Chinese competition   01:00:35 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

The New Scramble for Africa: A Competition for Influence and Race for Resources

In this installment of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World,” leading experts discuss China’s growing influence in Africa. Vandenberg Coalition Executive Director Carrie Filipetti speaks with Vandenberg Coalition Advisory Board Members Amb. J. Peter Pham [https://vandenbergcoalition.org/experts/peter-pham/], former U.S. Special Envoy for the Sahel Region and for the Great Lakes Region of Africa, and Aleksandra Gadzala Tirziu [https://vandenbergcoalition.org/experts/aleksandra-gadzala-tirziu/], a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council.  In this series, the Vandenberg Coalition shifts the focus beyond the Indo-Pacific and into various regions around the world where the Chinese Communist Party continues to threaten American interests. Each episode in the series discusses China’s growing influence in a given region, how it measures against American influence, how to define our relationship with the region in light of competing priorities, and what America can and should be doing to better protect and advance our national interests.   00:00:01 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti  00:02:09 Geopolitical implications of Africa’s economic, political, & population growth   00:04:45 Beijing’s strategic aims in Africa  00:10:37 Absence of comprehensive U.S. strategy towards Africa  00:12:07 Africa’s evolving view of China  00:17:30 Examples of African nations leveraging in negotiations with China   00:22:30 African youth favorability towards the United States  00:31:00 American diplomatic failings in engagement with Africa   00:37:07 Prevalence of BRI in Africa & potential for American “strategic corridors”   00:42:58 CCP “Debt-trap diplomacy” & avenues for U.S. alternatives to Chinese financing  00:48:44 China’s strategic weaponization of Africa’s critical minerals  00:53:58  Opportunities for U.S. engagement in African mining industries   00:58:16 Steps for U.S. engagement in Africa  01:01:37 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti