All eyes have been on Iran the past several weeks — and rightly so. President Trump has taken bold and decisive action to end Ayatollah Khamenei’s brutal rule and dismantle the number one state sponsor of terrorism. But there is another enemy lurking in the background that has not received enough attention and cannot be overlooked: the Chinese Communist Party.
Even after the completion of President Trump’s successful bilateral summit with President Xi Jinping, China poses a growing and long-term threat at home and abroad. Abroad, setting aside China’s support of Iran, the tensions following the summit specific to China, Taiwan, and the U.S. have become increasingly volatile. Chinese activity in the South China Sea risks turning what has long been a “cold war” into a “hot war.” Any military conflict in the region would come at an enormous cost — not only to Taiwan, a key American ally, but also to American citizens and businesses operating throughout the region. And the Chinese Communist Party continues to expand its economic influence and territorial reach in the Pacific by asserting control over key waterways and by taking assertive action in areas like the Scarborough Shoal.
Domestically, the Chinese Communist Party threatens our American way of life. That is well documented. For example, Chinese interests have been purchasing land near American military bases at an alarming rate. They have also been buying up American farmland. These acquisitions present a real national security threat that needs to be addressed by Congress — and quickly. But beyond just buying up farmland and land near military bases, China is also buying American children.
Indeed, reporting has shown that Chinese billionaires and officials are paying American surrogates exorbitant amounts of money to give birth to their children, then shipping them back to China as dual citizens. This is one of the most serious issues of our time, and few Americans are discussing it. I can think of few more concerning national security risks and human-rights violations than an unexamined pipeline of American-born children being raised within a chief adversary of the United States. It is human trafficking to send them to China in the first place. And once in China, these children will most certainly be subjected to CCP indoctrination and propaganda.
Much more could be said about the growing threat of the Chinese Communist Party — about the massive trade imbalance; their rapid development of artificial intelligence; currency manipulation; intellectual property theft; reliance on Chinese supply chains for critical pharmaceuticals; the use of visas to sustain portions of our skilled workforce; etc. But suffice it to say that China’s plan against the United States is a one-hundred year plan to undermine our way of life — quietly and subtly.
Unless we begin taking China seriously as the number one adversary that they are, we will reach a point of no return. Addressing China continues to be a focal point of President Trump’s America First agenda. Following the summit between the president and Xi Jinping, Congress must also make China a top priority — our future depends on it.
I am running for Congress to tackle these issues head-on and deliver solutions that protect the American people, our interests, our economy, and our national security. I have already been instrumental in shedding light on these issues and developing legislation to fight back against China, including through the first ever surrogacy bill in the United States, the SAFE KIDS Act.
President Trump’s leadership, and his peace-through-strength approach, is exactly what this moment demands. His track record in dealing with global conflicts shows he understands how to navigate high-stakes situations and deliver results. When elected, I will partner with President Trump and use my experience as a conservative attorney and chief legislative advisor to advance policies in Congress that address these challenges specific to China at their core, starting with legislation to protect American farmland, safeguarding our children, and defending the interests of the American people.
–Austin Rogers is a lifelong Panama City native, conservative attorney, and former General Counsel to U.S. Senator Rick Scott. He is a candidate for Congress in Florida’s 2nd congressional district.