By BRAEDEN COOK, Guest Columnist
Are we entering a second Cold War with China?
Yes, if the United States ever realizes it. Now, of course, there is a reasonable awareness in the United States to the evils of China concerning the genocide of Uyghur Muslims, the complete takeover of Hong Kong and the lack of political freedom for the Chinese people across the whole country.
However, many Americans are unaware of the attempts by China to spread its influence and power across the globe.
The most recent example of China’s push for influence comes in the wake of the U.S. foreign policy debacle in Afghanistan.
China has already begun threatening Taiwan by claiming the United States will not support them in the event of a Chinese invasion.
The response out of the Biden Administration amounts to some strong talk that has been said time and again, which at this point does not seem to count for much. (Just ask the U.S. Afghan allies.)
No matter where your political views line up – for the evacuation or against – the handling of the situation has hurt America’s influence, image and respect throughout the world and is being used against us to great effect.
Another example: For years, China has been working to influence nations across central and southern Asia, the Middle East, eastern Europe and southern Africa through its Belt and Road Initiative.
This Chinese government policy works on upgrading the infrastructure in nations to promote trade, usually by requesting access to their natural resources in exchange.
A byproduct of this policy is the reliance these countries now have on China.
China’s influence reaches into the United States itself in the form of American corporations and other institutions that China has sway over.
The NBA, Disney, Comcast, Google and even some major U.S. colleges all have major financial ties to China and have in some way displayed the influence China has over them.
The NBA’s condemnation of players speaking out for protesters in Hong Kong is such an example.
The removal of the Taiwan patch from Maverick’s jacket in the most recent Top Gun movie; the apology made by John Cena when he accidentally called Taiwan a country; the mainstream media (most of which are parts of the same major conglomerates that own the movie companies) downplaying evidence suggesting that COVID-19 probably came out of an accidental lab leak in China: all this to say China has major influences both abroad and at home, and it shares no love of liberty and no love for the United States.
In the end, one might even hesitate to call it a Cold War, as that implies there are two sides vying for influence without the use of direct force against each other.
In this case, China is working overtime to undermine the influence of its enemy and expand its own; meanwhile, the other side struggles to even condemn China as an enemy of the nation and freedom in general, both for lack of knowledge and for lack of courage.
Braeden Cook is the president of the College Republicans Club at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.