America is in a new Cold War with China, and ports are at the center of the conflict, according to foreign policy experts.
“China has truly a global portfolio of ports worldwide,” said Alex Wooley, communications director for a research lab at William and Mary that does in-depth research on Chinese investments.
China is currently financing over 180 port projects around the globe at 93 unique ports that are worth about $32 billion, Wooley explained at an event at The Heritage Foundation in the District of Columbia on Thursday. Among these ports that AidData has identified, a third are in high-income countries, he said, and 40% are in Europe.
The large amount of port projects are evidence of China’s “long game” strategy, according to Wooley.
“While the U.S. was largely paying attention to other areas of the world, China was patiently building these long-term relationships with countries to build ports,” he said.
China is “everywhere,” Wooley said, adding that he and the researchers at AidData have discovered an interesting shift in China’s foreign investments.
“There’s an increasing decline of Chinese aid, what would traditionally be called foreign aid, and instead, there’s a movement toward financing, typical sort of loans and commercial interest rates, to high income countries,” Wooley said. The trend reveals that China is “moving to very exotic financing instruments, in part because that evades detection, evades transparency.”
The research institute has also found that China is working to gain a stake in “critical infrastructure assets,” such as airports and critical minerals. To this end, port assets are a “double win” for China, he said.
“The ports are an end in itself because it sort of reaffirms China’s maritime dominance, or attempt to being dominant, and also provide for means by which they get these critical commodities and minerals, etc., to China,” Wooley explained.
China, according to the researcher, is likely driven by a desire for profit in building the ports, but even more so, a motive for strategic geopolitical power. China could use the ports as naval facilities in the future.
China has spent decades building its global influenced through port projects and at this point, the U.S. will have to “pick and choose” how to compete with China on this front because “it’s difficult to catch up,” he said.
The U.S. needs to think strategically, including regarding where to establish new military bases, but most important is that the U.S. not waiver in the action it chooses to take to address the growing threat of China’s port control, Wooley says, because China is doubling down.
Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security and author of “Naval Power in Action,” said the South China Sea is the most import location for the U.S. to prioritize its maritime presence right now, followed by the eastern Mediterranean.
“China has banked a lot of their future global vision in controlling or having access to Europe,” Sadler said. “It’s a huge economy. It’s also one in which could influence what happens in Eurasia, so they want to have that. That’s that Maritime Silk Road, … so if you can challenge that, you’re going to draw their attention, their resources, to that region,” which would be strategic for the U.S., Sadler explained.
From an economic perspective, it is critical that shipping “remains free and open,” the Heritage researcher said, “and so I think it behooves all of us that there is stability and strong governments that don’t threaten international trade.”
In the future, when entering into agreement with China, Sadler said the free world needs to see the country for what it is, a nation that is not interested in advancing democracy, or free markets for that matter.
Virginia Allen is a senior news producer for The Daily Signal and host of “The Daily Signal Podcast” and “Problematic Women.”
Reprinted with Permission from The Daily Signal – By Virginia Allen
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
China’s goal is world domination, politically, industrially, and militarily. China’s fervor is similar to that of radical Islamism, whose goal is worldwide conversion for religious domination.
The combined effect of these two forces will end the world as we know it.
Is there even one secret corner where China has not it’s tentacle, unfortunately we fed this giant octopus which is poised to devour us all. Is it possible to starve it, to slay it may not be that easy.
All of the important work by Brent Sadler, Alex Wooley and Virginia Allen in presenting this article is appreciated. It is very good to know that the approach to the strategic way of thinking about the Chinese ports expansion plans are being considered as they are – having a realistic opinion of the situation, an intelligent view of the matter. The mention of the word Stability toward the end of the article and how it is critical that shipping. ” remains free and open ” are the kind of thoughts that bring proper perspective to these developments. I am 75 , did mechanical work on ships for two years , as a civilian, during the 1970’s. An interest in navigation developed then and continues – at present doing research on the mathematics of chart and map projection in the historical sense. Again, this is an important article and it is appreciated.
We are in Cold War 2 since 1991 minus Russia now with China
Our country has a habit of turning a blind eye to China’s spreading its dominance over the
globe, not just their financing and building ports but buying large tracts of land in our own
country. Some of the land right next to military sites. Can we buy land in their country?
Come on people! Stop buying Chinese made products. Start with just one a month. If you can’t get your product from any other source, maybe you really don’t need it. We must quit financing the nation that wants to destroy us. Look at the labels. Let it stay on the shelf if it’s from China. You conquer a mountain one step at a time.
General Milley, is that you?
I’ve said before…. Back in the 60’s, my dad warned that Russia wasn’t our biggest threat, CHINA WAS, AND STILL IS!!!
The author needs a review of basic English skills. Confusing syntax and grammar make this article hard to read.
you would, what’s your last name, xinping?
China is and always has been an enemy to the United States!!! President Trump must continue to stand up to them and even get in their face!! China thinks they are superior to us and all they are is being spies and snakes in the grass!!!