Retired Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, on Monday, raised concerns about the threat the United States faces from China. The former second national security advisor to Donald Trump also noted that regardless of who wins the election in Nov., the president will have to rely on support from allies to keep China under control.
McMaster that whoever wins the presidential election in Nov. will need to take the help of the international community to keep the highly aggressive and ambitious China under control. He went on to describe China as America's biggest national security threat during an interview on CNBC’s “Closing Bell.”
He went on to point out that China has increased its military spending by a staggering 800 percent since the 1990s, and it is the largest peacetime military build-up in history. Furthermore, McMaster noted that the Chinese government has been very aggressive when it comes to exporting its authoritarian mercantilist model to other countries around the globe.
McMaster suggested this is not just an America-China issue, adding that it is a free world-China problem. He suggested that the world’s largest economies need to work together to combat the Chinese economic as well as physical aggression to show Xi Jinping that his aggressive strategy isn't working.
The Washington and Beijing relationship continues to fall apart after an attempt from two of the world's largest economies to restore trade relations. The Trump administration blames China for a slew of grievances, such as stealing intellectual property, unfair trade practices, and the coronavirus pandemic.
In June, Trump's national security advisor, Robert O’Brien, criticized China for an exhaustive list of offenses before announcing that the days of American passivity and naivety about the People’s Republic of China have come to an end. Likewise, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the Trump administration would not let China continue cyberattacking the United States that has become what he called one of human history's largest transfers of wealth.
Beijing, on the other hand, blamed America for the deteriorating relations. During an interview in July, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the United States is pushing to destroy China-U.S. relations, while China is trying to put the brakes on.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who is running against Trump, has previously assured that he would work more closely with allies to initiate push back against China. The former vice president has claimed that he has spent more time with Xi Jinping than any other world leader during his political career.